Jalen

Duren

Duren has scored eight, 11 and eight points in the first three games of this series. It’s the first time all season that he’s scored below 15 points in three consecutive games. Duren will have to get going if the Pistons are going to come back in this series. His next chance will come Monday in Game 4.

Duren had more of an impact in Game 2 than in Game 1, even though his counting stats didn’t change much. He scored a few more points on Wednesday and was a bit more involved on offense, both as a passer and a finisher. Yet, his numbers through two games haven’t come close to his regular-season averages. He’s struggling particularly with putting the ball in the basket, but will have a chance to find his rhythm in Game 3.

Relative to his regular-season production, Duren had an underwhelming performance in Sunday’s opener. He was hardly involved across his 33 minutes, taking just four total shots. The result was a single-digit scoring performance from the first-time NBA All-Star and a team worst minus-21. If the Pistons want to avoid falling two games behind in the series on Wednesday, they’ll almost certainly need more on both ends of the floor from Duren.

With Duren back in the lineup after missing the regular-season finale, Detroit will have its regular starting five for Game 1 on Sunday. The Pistons posted their first 60-win season in 20 years en route to securing the Eastern Conference’s No. 1 seed. They will face a Magic team that is just a couple of days removed from knocking off the Charlotte Hornets in the Play-In Tournament.

Duren is the lone Pistons regular on the injury report for Sunday’s regular-season finale, even though Detroit’s playoff seeding won’t be affected by the outcome. Isaiah Stewart is available, but most of Duren’s minutes may be absorbed by Paul Reed, as Beef Stew only recently returned from a strained calf.

Duren led the Pistons with 20 points in the win. The 22-year-old center was one rebound shy of a double-double. Detroit already clinched the first seed in the Eastern Conference, but still rolled out its starting lineup. They all played less than 30 minutes, though. Duren is finishing strong, providing fifth-round per game value over the last two weeks. The Pistons wrap up the regular season on Sunday against the Pacers on the road.

With the Pistons grabbing control of Wednesday’s game during the second and third quarters, Duren only needed to play 28 minutes against the Bucks. The All-Star center finished one rebound shy of a triple-double, and he’s scored at least 20 points in 33 games this season. By comparison, Duren had four such games last season. At a minimum, he’s on the shortlist of the most improved players in the NBA this season.

While the doubtful tag suggests it’s more likely Cunningham will not return on Monday, the status change is an upgrade. On April 2, it was announced that he would be re-evaluated in a week, so a return before the playoffs may be within reach. Daniss Jenkins has filled in admirably as the starting point guard in Cunningham’s absence, and Jalen Duren has been able to do more facilitating from the center position.

Duren and Harris are good to go for Saturday’s game after initially being questionable. They’ll take their usual places within the Pistons’ starting lineup. For Duren, the Pistons have run more offense through him in the aftermath of Cade Cunningham’s lung injury, slightly raising his ceiling in assists.

Duren was initially absent from the Pistons’ injury report. If he’s unable to play, Paul Reed would move into the starting lineup, which raises his fantasy ceiling considerably. Tolu Smith would move into the rotation, but he would not be worth the risk in fantasy leagues.