Heading into the 2024-2025 NBA season, most top NBA player lists included Cade Cunningham as the only player to represent the Detroit Pistons. That was the case for most of the season, but The Ringer recently showed Jalen Duren some love.
With a shocking move into the top 100, Duren is considered to be the 94th-best player in the NBA, according to The Ringer. That’s a nice jump for Duren, who wasn’t previously listed at all.
The “Mammoth big cut from granite who rebounds everything in sight” admittedly got off to a slow start to the year. Duren’s lack of early development made many question whether JB Bickerstaff was making the right decision, starting him over Isaiah Stewart.
It was a valid concern at the time, but those questions are no longer a factor. As Duren has started hitting his stride throughout his 2024-2025 campaign, it’s clear he’s the right guy for the Pistons’ starting big man job. And since the Pistons are now playing meaningful basketball, Duren’s impact says something.
via The Ringer: “Duren’s promise is starting to materialize on a Pistons team that’s, somewhat shockingly, ready to make a little noise in the playoffs. For the most part, Duren knows what he can and can’t do, an element of self-awareness that’s critical for a young team learning how to win. He sprints the floor, creates second-chance opportunities, sets hard screens, and only attempts shots that have a very good chance of going in.”
The 21-year-old big man took a nice statistical jump during his sophomore effort last season. He went from averaging nine points and nine rebounds to producing 14 points and 12 rebounds per game. While Duren’s overall numbers have seen a slight dip this year to 11 points and 10 rebounds per game, he’s getting his numbers in much more important situations, as the Pistons are looking playoff-bound for the first time since he joined the club in 2022.
Duren’s placement on the list is in front of players like Benndict Maturin and Jalen Green. He trails right behind guys like Brook Lopez and Dillon Brooks.
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