For a Detroit Pistons team that employs the 5th-highest scoring center in the league in Jalen Duren, folks love to say this squad "Doesn't have a No. 2 scoring option" after Cade Cunningham.
Sure, I understand what pundits mean when they bring up this point; traditionally, championship-caliber teams have two high-level guard or wing scorers who can create their own shot (often 3-pointers) at will.
Last year, the Thunder had Jalen Williams, the Celtics had The Jays, the Nuggets had Michael Porter Jr, and on and on. Thus, it's a little against the grain for the second offensive option to be an inside-the-arc big man who is still improving his offensive repertoire. That's usually reserved for the third (or fourth) offensive weapon on the totem pole.
Do the Pistons care? Definitely not. Everything this team does is a little different, and that's part of why the city has embraced them so much. The team has personality.
Perhaps the more pressing question is: does it matter? Despite Duren being distinct in his role and skillset with this Pistons team, they are closing in on a 60-win season and should be the favorites in the Eastern Conference, in large part because Duren is such a consistent force. His offensive game isn't technically advanced like, say, Nikola Jokic's, but the ball goes in the hoop much more than anyone hand-wringing about the Pistons playoff offense seems to realize.
The NBA world seems to be ignoring Jalen Duren's impact
Since the start of February, Duren has scored over 20 points in far more games than he hasn't. He's averaged over 21 points per game over the past two months, and the stunning efficiency hasn't taken a hit, either, shooting well over 60% in that stretch.
He also can't be labeled a Cade Cunningham merchant. Sure, Cunningham makes everyone around him better, but in the seven games since he's been sidelined, Duren is still averaging 22 points per game.
More than any other position, the stat lines of centers rarely tell the whole story. Sometimes a bad player can have good stats (think Deandre Ayton), and sometimes highly effective players can post uninspiring statistical profiles.
But Jalen Duren is not a case of that. He may be creating less offense for himself than a guard who loves to isolate, but at some point, 20-plus points per game is 20-plus points per game, and if Duren can produce in the postseason like he has in the regular season, then the idea that Detroit "doesn't have a second option" goes out the window. He doesn't look like a typical No. 2 option (he's way stronger) but the results are starting to speak for themselves.