The Detroit Pistons surprised everyone in the league last season, as they won 62 games, and earned the first seed in the Eastern Conference. They stormed back from a 3-1 deficit to beat the Orlando Magic in the first round, but ran out of gas and blew a 2-0 series lead to the Cleveland Cavaliers in round two.
Jalen Duren was a big part of Detroit’s regular season success, averaging nearly 20 points per game, 11 rebounds, and shot 65 percent from the field. He was named an All-Star and selected to All-NBA third team as well. The problem was that he did not keep that play up in the playoffs.
Duren’s numbers were nearly cut in half and he was thoroughly outplayed by Wendell Carter Jr., Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen throughout the postseason. It has led to a nasty contract stalemate this offseason between him and Pistons management, but the resolution should be clear.
Duren should take a shorter term deal in order to rebuild his value and get a max contract later
The way NBA players earn their money is by showing up in the playoffs and in high-leverage situations. Duren has yet to do that as a Piston.
However, that is not to say that he will never be able to do it. Keep in mind, he is only 22 years old and is coming off an All-Star and All-NBA season. Growing pains are bound to happen with a player that young.
It is also not like Duren hasn’t shown that he has star potential. Along with the obvious fact that he is such an imposing and physical presence, he showed off an expanded dribbling game this season, had great touch around the rim, and was comfortable as a playmaker.
The next area of improvement for him will be diversifying his offensive game and finding ways to be aggressive no matter the defensive coverage. He also has to build up his defensive chops, especially at the rim. Oftentimes he would get caught in no man’s land defensively and that cannot happen as a big man.
Duren has the talent to re-earn his max contract that he was eligible for. He just needs to accept the fact that it will not come this offseason. Signing a two or three year deal will give him the chance to do that, while also giving the Pistons the flexibility to add to their roster and reman contenders in the Eastern Conference.
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