Is Jalen Duren staring down a breakout season?
Photo Credit: Nic Antaya - Getty Images
Detroit seems to have found a franchise corner stone hidden toward the tail end of the 2022 draft lottery. In a draft deal deal that seen the New York Knicks send the expiring contracts of Alec Burks and Nerlens Noel to Detroit, along with the rights to the number 13 overall pick in the draft for taking on those contracts. With the 13th pick, the Pistons acquired the rights to Jalen Duren, the big man out of the University of Memphis. He was the youngest player in the draft at just 18, but physically he came into the league with an NBA ready body which is notable being that he was the youngest player in the NBA at the time of his debut.
Duren would go on to have an impressive rookie season, averaging 9.1 points and 8.9 rebounds on 65% field goal percentage in just about 25 minutes a night. This campaign was good enough to not only earn him an invite to the rising stars game along side fellow first round teammate Jaden Ivey, but the Pistons rookie duo were also both selected to the All-Rookie Second team for their quality rookie campaigns that they were able to put together. For the Pistons, Duren and Ivey were two of the very few bright spots of what was an otherwise forgettable 22-23 season.
Now the focus will shift to how seeing how well both Duren and Ivey fit along side the franchise player Cade Cunningham as he returns from shin surgery that cost him all but 12 games of last season. Since the Pistons took Cunningham with the #1 overall pick, they have pretty clearly needed a good pick and roll caliber big man to go along side of him. They may have their man in Jalen Duren. His ability to set strong screens, and be a force rolling to the basket and being a threat to catch the lob will force teams to defend him on the roll which will open things up and should create some easy offense for Cunningham as well.
As he starts the 23-24 season with the starting center role locked up, through his first 4 games of this season Duren has been on a tear, averaging 15.5 points, 13.3 rebounds and 2 blocks a game. He has been a force on both sides of the ball, and that pick and roll with Cunningham has already showed to be effective. Still only 19 years old, the Pistons seem to have struck gold with Jalen Duren, and we may be staring down a breakout season for the Detroit big man.
