The Detroit Pistons welcomed All-Star center Jalen Duren back to the starting lineup with open arms on Saturday night
Even though the Detroit Pistons were able to win both of their games when Jalen Duren was out due to suspension, the team functioned a bit differently without the All-Star big man in the lineup.
This season, Duren has increased his scoring output from 11.8 to 17.7 points per game while continuing to grab double digit rebounds each night, but JD’s value extends far beyond that first wave of production. Since the Pistons rank in the bottom half of the NBA in three-point shooting, Detroit head coach J.B. Bickerstaff has set the squad up to capitalize on the margins– securing loose balls, grabbing offensive rebounds and winning the 50-50 battles that often go underreported in the post-game highlights.
For Duren, these are areas where the fourth-year center has become an indispensable member of the Pistons’ core.
“He’s a force,” Bickerstaff said after beating the Bulls. “Anytime you add an All-Star back to your rotation, he’s a guy who’s just been a dominant force on both ends of the floor. Offensive rebounds, tonight he had six offensive rebounds, you can feel him, the pressure he brings, the gravity he brings, how many bodies they have to bring to him. So, he’s just a dominant force on both ends of the floor, and it’s just great to have him back.”
Playing on the road in Chicago, Duren announced his return to the lineup with 26 points (12-for-20 FGs) and 13 rebounds with two assists and a steal to round out his stat-stuffing performance. JD had a pair of rim-rattling dunks in the first quarter, one a put-back and the other a product of the two-man game with Cade Cunningham in the low post, and both set the tone for what was a dominant effort from the first-time All-Star.
“He just plays with such force,” Pistons wing Duncan Robinson said. “He puts pressure on the rim. It’s truly unique. I’ve played with some big guys, but he brings like a different sort of disposition to it. He just plays so physical and basically forces you to foul him or he’s just right at the rim, so [I’m] happy he’s on our team.”
Since the Pistons rely on equal parts physicality and intensity to overwhelm opponents, Duren has fit right in as a key element to Detroit’s muscle in the paint, which is one area where Duren’s squad had a decisive advantage against the Bulls on Saturday. The Pistons outscored the Bulls 68-38 in the paint, and Duren’s development as a low post scoring threat is a galvanizing force behind Detroit’s No. 2 rank in the NBA for paint points this year.
The Pistons still have four more games to play before Isaiah Stewart returns from his suspension, but having Duren back in the lineup made all the difference for Detroit in their Central Division showdown with the Bulls over the weekend.
Next up, the Pistons will return to the Motor City for a 7 pm cross-conference battle with the San Antonio Spurs.
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