For what reason, Jalen Duren chose today to Detroit Pistons leave today for various reasons. See more….
Jalen Duren: ‘Hustle’ Will Bring Back Detroit Pistons GloryDetroit Pistons
Last season, Jalen Duren might have flown a little under the sports world’s radar. But the Detroit Pistons’ new 6-foot-11 big man made his mark as one of the NBA’s most promising rising stars.
Going into his second season with the Pistons, he’s poised to make a bigger impact in a game that seems to be increasingly influenced if not dominated by big men in the center of the action.
Last month I got to interview Duren, and found that Detroit’s versatile young center has a sense of urgency about getting the Pistons back to the postseason. He spoke first about his mindset, coming onto a team with a history as one of the NBA’s great franchises.
Coming in, my mindset was really just to try to add to the team,” Duren said via Zoom, in mid-August. “Also, (I want to) keep doing what I can to keep us rebuilding this team.”
Duren ended his rookie season averaging a healthy 9.1 points and 8.9 rebounds per game, while starting 31 games.
“Through year one,” Duren added, “I did what I could to the best of my abilities—and the rest is history.”
It’s no secret that the Pistons are in what some might call a painstaking rebuild. Last season, Detroit logged only 17 wins in the 82-game NBA season, and one which put them out of playoff contention early. The Pistons also posted the worst record in the NBA.
Still, Duren’s impact on the franchise was felt immediately. For his efforts, Duren was selected to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.
When asked about his transition from one of the top college teams in the American Athletic Conference (AAC), he said that stepping into the NBA isn’t exactly like playing East Carolina and VCU.
“It was definitely an adjustment, I’d be lying if I say it wasn’t,” Duren said. “It was a lot of just figuring out my role with the team and doing what they wanted me to do.”
Duren said he learned that being instrumental in the first year of your NBA career is about balancing ambition with what’s happening real-time on the floor.
