Jalen Duren didn't hold the Detroit Pistons back in Game 1, and after his disappointing play through round one, that's already a step in the right direction.
Still, even with the big man's solid play in their first matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Duren fell short of being the No. 2 scoring option that Detroit has been begging him to be alongside Cade Cunningham in the playoffs.
Considering the lack of impact from Evan Mobley (14 points) and Jarrett Allen (2 points) in Game 1, Duren's offensive struggles were easily overlooked.
However, scoring just 11 points won't be enough to help the Pistons survive in this series, especially when Mobley and Allen find their footing in this matchup.
Pistons need Jalen Duren to wake up
Cunningham's heroics in the final three games for the Pistons against the Orlando Magic seemingly gave Duren another chance at redemption.
Instead of entering the offseason with the 22-year-old circled as Detroit's biggest question, Duren was given the opportunity to prove he can be the player the team's been hoping to see since the postseason began.
And while an 11-point outing could have been much worse, considering his dominance in the regular season, it's safe to say that won't cut it, even with his reliability on the glass.
For Detroit to make it out of this series, the Pistons need someone else to step up outside of veteran forward Tobias Harris, and not just because relying on a 33-year-old is worrisome, but because if he continues to fall short, the Motor City squad could find themselves battling a headache this offseason.
Detroit needs Duren to make their future plans easier
Regardless of what happens throughout the postseason, nothing will change the fact that the Pistons will be tasked with answering a major question this offseason about Duren's future in Detroit.
To prevent a nightmare scenario where Duren makes it to restricted free agency next offseason, the team will likely look to ink the big man to a contract extension this offseason, an extension that's expected to be a max payday.
Looking at the regular season, it's safe to say the Memphis product deserves that extension.
Fast forward to the postseason, and questions have begun to arise about whether or not Detroit should allocate a bulk of their financial resources to a player who still has limitations.
Not only do the Pistons need Duren to show up to survive this series, but they need him to prove he's worthy of the impending deal he's expected to land.
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