Jalen Duren’s return is going to force the Detroit Pistons to redraw the frontcourt picture, and a few players who carved out bigger jobs while he was out are about to feel the squeeze.
Duren is scheduled to be re-evaluated on November 22 after recently getting back to basketball activities, and J.B. Bickerstaff will have to make another lineup adjustment. The Pistons have leaned on frontcourt flexibility and small-ball looks to stay near the top of the Eastern Conference, but getting their All-NBA center back means the rotation will shift again.
Paul Reed looks like the clearest example. In Duren’s absence, Reed has handled the starting center role and given Detroit steady defense while also bumping up his scoring with the extra run.
Through 11 games, seven of them starts, he is averaging a career-high 11.5 points and 7.7 rebounds. Still, no matter how productive he’s been, Reed understands the job is temporary.
Once Duren is back, he is expected to slide back into his familiar role as the backup five.
John Collins is in line for a different kind of adjustment. With Duren sidelined, Detroit has used smaller combinations, but Duren’s return should push Collins back to his natural power forward spot.
That would create a more traditional frontcourt pairing, with Collins spending less time wrestling centers inside and more time operating on the perimeter. His shooting should help open the floor for Duren’s lob game and work around the basket.
Tolu Smith is the player who stands to lose the most. He filled the backup center spot behind Reed while the Pistons were short-handed, but once Duren and Reed are handling the bulk of the minutes at center, Smith’s nightly role is expected to shrink. He may be pushed back into emergency third-string duty or spend time with the Motor City Cruise.
Bickerstaff has already said the team is being careful with Duren so he can return without setbacks, which means there could be an initial minutes restriction. That may create a small opening for Smith at first, but the long-term picture is clear: once Duren is back, Smith is likely back to third-string big man status.
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