The Pistons have obviously not gotten enough from Jalen Duren so far in their first-round series and it’s forced them to turn towards other scoring options instead. If Duren doesn’t improve his play in Game 4, we might see Detroit cut his minutes in favor of Isaiah Stewart or Paul Reed. Although those two aren’t generally considered as talented as Duren, they’ve brought more intensity and physicality that can turn the tide of the series for the Pistons.
The Pistons may consider benching Duren
Decreasing Duren's minutes intentionally would be a major change for the All-Star center, who started 70 games this season and put up career-high numbers with 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game in the regular season. However, that production hasn't translated to the playoffs; Duren is averaging just 9 points and 8 rebounds per game through 3 games.
His disappearing act as the Pistons' second star has put undue burden on Cade Cunningham to carry this team. As a result, Cade has scored in bunches but also been prone to turnovers and inefficient performances when his usual partner hasn't held up his end of the bargain. Most concerning is Duren's deviation from his usual playstyle as he's found himself unable to physically overwhelm Orlando's Wendell Carter Jr.
Duren has struggled on both ends against Carter, who is averaging 11 points and 10 rebounds per game in the series. Unlike Duren, Carter was far from an All-Star in the regular season but he's having a bigger impact so far in the playoffs. Carter has been opportunistic in his scoring, profiting off feeds from his teammates, and solid in post defense against Duren.
However, Duren has still continued to try hunting his shot in different ways. Unfortunately, he's hurting the Pistons by shooting just 42% from the field so far in the series - a far cry from his 65% in the regular season. Duren has also failed to keep Carter out of the paint or off the offensive glass, leading to a poor defensive effort on Duren's part.
The Pistons have other solutions at center
One of the Pistons' biggest strengths all season long has been their depth and ability to make up for any player underperforming. At center, they have perhaps their deepest rotation. Duren is typically backed up by Isaiah Stewart, arguably an All-Defense caliber player, and Paul Reed, arguably the best third-string center in the NBA.
Both Stewart and Reed have outperformed Duren so far in the series, but had their minutes limited. Giving each of the backup bigs more playing time while taking some away from Duren could be the Pistons' best shot at returning to their usual strengths.
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