Jalen Duren didn’t waste any time answering the noise.
On the first play of last night’s game against Minnesota, he caught a pass from Ausar Thompson and went right into a short baseline jumper. That set the tone for a preseason opener in which Duren looked sharp, fast and far more explosive than some around him may have expected.
He finished with 24 points, three rebounds, an assist, two steals and a block in just 15 minutes. And he did it against Rudy Gobert, one of the league’s top defenders. For a first outing, it was about as strong a statement as Duren could have made.
There’s still the obvious preseason asterisk hanging over it all, and one game in October won’t settle every argument around him. But the early signs point to a major jump, the kind that would go a long way toward backing up his big payday and quieting the people who have spent plenty of time picking apart his holdout and contract.
That reaction has been loud. Some of it has been fair.
Some of it has gone way off the rails. Duren has been hit with everything from “bum” to “greedy,” and the contract talk has turned into a full-blown obsession for a certain slice of the Pistons fanbase.
The “overpaid” label has been tossed around, too, along with a few “fire Trajan Langdon” comments from the more energetic corners of Facebook.
So there was always going to be a little curiosity about how he’d look in his first preseason action. The fact that it came on the road may have helped take some of the heat off, especially after the lengthy holdout. But if Duren keeps playing like this, the conversation gets a lot simpler.
The bigger reality, of course, is that none of this will fully move the most hardened skeptics in October. For those fans, the only proof that counts will come in the playoffs. Saying “wait until April” may not be the most fun way to follow basketball, but it’s where this debate seems headed for some people.
In Other News...
Pistons May Have Found The Identity That Keeps This Team Rising
The Pistons spent the summer reinforcing the part of the roster that already gave them a clear edge, bringing in John Collins in free agency and keeping Jalen Duren in the fold. On paper, the fit is pretty straightforward: Collins at power forward, Duren at center, with both expected to help Detroit stay physical around the rim and give the offense extra chances on the glass.
Rebounding has already been a calling card for this team, and the idea here is less about starting over than doubling down on what works. If Collins and Duren can form the kind of frontcourt pairing Detroit envisioned, the Pistons may not just preserve that strength from last season, but turn it into one of the identity pieces that keeps the group moving up the standings. [Read more 🡒]
Lakers Kept Austin Reaves Away From A Team Desperate For Help
Detroits front office spent much of the offseason chasing ways to speed up its rebuild, and Austin Reaves was firmly on that radar before he chose to stay with the Lakers. The Pistons have already made some important commitments of their own, extending Ausar Thompson on a five-year contract and re-signing Jalen Duren after contract negotiations, but their interest in bigger names shows how aggressively they are looking to add talent around that young core.
The pursuit did not stop with Reaves, either. Detroit reportedly checked in on trade possibilities for Kawhi Leonard and Kevin Durant as it keeps searching for a move that can raise the ceiling of the roster, and the sense is the Pistons will keep pressing on major targets as they build for the future. For a team that has spent years trying to escape the leagues bottom tier, the willingness to keep swinging is becoming part of the identity. [Read more 🡒]
Paul Reed Faces A Big Pistons Test Isaiah Stewart Never Did
The Pistons are asking Paul Reed to step into a bigger lane after moving on from Isaiah Stewart, and the appeal is easy to see. Reed has already shown he can make an impact on the defensive end with steals and blocks, while also giving Detroit more offensive versatility than Stewart typically did. For a team that values energy and versatility in its frontcourt, that makes Reed a compelling fit on paper.
What remains to be seen is whether the bigger workload can hold up once the minutes start stacking up. Reeds expanded role will be a real test of consistency, because the Pistons need more than flashes from him - they need steady production and reliable contributions over time. If he can sustain what he has shown, Detroits move away from Stewart could look a lot more worthwhile. [Read more 🡒]