The Pistons got a clear look at what life without Jalen Duren can turn into, and the timing couldn’t be worse.
Detroit has already survived two games without him, but Monday night’s loss of control on the boards against Philadelphia made the problem hard to ignore. The 76ers had Joel Embiid this time, unlike the first meeting between the teams, and he tilted the rebounding battle in Philly’s favor. Detroit was beaten on the glass by seven, even with Ausar Thompson turning in a huge night and pulling down 17 rebounds.
That gap mattered. Philadelphia grabbed nine offensive rebounds and finished with three more possessions than the Pistons, the kind of edge that can decide a game that stays tight everywhere else.
Duren’s absence shows up in more than just the box score, too. Detroit loses the easy finishes he creates around the rim, the lobs and dunks that come so naturally for him, and it loses the extra resistance he provides on the defensive glass.
And the schedule is not offering much relief.
Next up is the Lakers, who bring Walker Kessler to center, a difficult matchup for Paul Reed. Kessler is putting up a double-double average while shooting over 70 percent this season, and he’s also one of the league’s top offensive rebounders at more than three per game. If Duren remains out, Detroit will need everyone involved just to keep Kessler from creating second chances.
Then come back-to-back games against the Wizards, who have a healthy Anthony Davis waiting in the middle. Davis is back to averaging more than 23 points per game and is hitting 35 percent of his 3-pointers this season, which makes him a problem in more than one way.
After that, the Pistons see the Heat again. Detroit handled Miami the first time without Duren, but this one brings another demanding frontcourt test with Bam and Giannis.
The stretch closes with the Spurs and Victor Wembanyama, who may be the toughest assignment of all. In three games against Detroit, he has averaged 25 points, 15 rebounds, 5 assists and 3.7 blocks. He’s a bad matchup for anybody, but Duren at least gives the Pistons someone who can battle him in the lane and try to draw fouls.
Duren’s hamstring re-evaluation is just a few days away, and Detroit badly needs encouraging news. Last night was a reminder that the rebounding issues are real, and the schedule ahead is only going to make them louder.
In Other News...
Pistons May Be Near One Costly Decision On Their Title Push
The Knicks aggressive move for Mikal Bridges is a reminder of how quickly a contender can change its ceiling when it is willing to pay a steep price. For the Pistons, that kind of example matters now more than ever, because Detroit is no longer in the stage of simply collecting young talent and waiting for it to bloom. The front office has to think about how to turn a promising core into a team that can actually survive the postseason grind.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker has emerged as the sort of target that can tempt a team into making that leap, thanks to his performance and the way he could fit alongside Detroits roster. But the same kind of deal that can accelerate a title push can also leave a franchise thin on future flexibility, and that is the tension hanging over any discussion of a move like this. For now, it is only a possibility, but it is the sort of possibility that forces a serious team to weigh urgency against cost. [Read more 🡒]
Pistons Fans Have A New Reason To Revisit That Embiid Ending
The Pistons left Philadelphia with a 112-106 loss, but the final minutes offered plenty for Detroit fans to replay. Joel Embiid was assessed a flagrant foul penalty 1 after kicking Cade Cunningham in the groin, and the sequence also brought a technical foul for shoving another player, turning an already physical game into one that ended with plenty of frustration on the Detroit side.
Embiid still filled the box score in a big way, finishing with 26 points and 15 rebounds in a double-double that added another line to his long list of dominant nights. It was his 61st game with at least 25 points and 15 rebounds, the second-most in 76ers history, but for Pistons fans the lasting memory from this one is likely to be the confrontation, not the production. [Read more 🡒]
Ausar Thompson Is Giving The Pistons A New Reason For Optimism
The Pistons came up short in a tight loss to the 76ers, but Ausar Thompson gave them something to take from the night beyond the final score. He was more aggressive than usual, putting up a season high in field goal attempts while contributing in points, rebounds, assists and steals, a reminder that his impact is starting to stretch beyond the defensive end.
What stood out most was the way Thompson kept pressing offensively while still looking efficient doing it, including better work at the free throw line. For a Detroit team that has already shown it can compete early, that kind of growth from Thompson gives the Pistons another reason to believe his role can keep expanding even as he continues to work through the usual growing pains. [Read more 🡒]