Pistons’ Jalen Duren draws attention-grabbing ‘All-Star’ take from Draymond Green

The 35-12 Detroit Pistons continue to garner the respect of their peers around the NBA.

Detroit’s Western Conference road trip concluded with a crucial 131-124 victory over the Golden State Warriors. Center Jalen Duren had his way with the Warriors, scoring 21 points and grabbing 13 rebounds, including six on the offensive glass. After the game, forward Draymond Green offered his admiration of the development of Detroit’s breakout center.

“He came into the NBA with a grown man’s body,” Green explained. “Now, he knows how to use it. It’s night and day in the physicality that he plays with now as opposed to when he first came into the league. He’s handling the ball more, he’s making plays, but I think the biggest difference is he uses his body now.”

Duren has put together an impressive campaign in his fourth season as the Pistons’ starting center. He is shouldering a career-high workload, averaging 18 points per game and almost 11 rebounds. Duren has also taken a big step forward as the anchor in the middle for one of the league’s best defensive units. He is a significant reason for the Pistons’ elite production as the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference with a 35-12 record.

The breakout season Duren has him in serious conversations of possibly becoming a 2026 NBA All-Star. It would be the first All-Star honor of Duren’s career. He is also in line for a rookie contract extension with the Pistons after turning down offers this past offseason. Green shared his thoughts after the game on the possibility of Duren earning those accomplishments.

“It’s no surprise he’s going to be an All-Star this year because he has learned those things. Give credit to him for doing the work, give credit to their coaching staff for putting the work in with him to help him improve. He’s an All-Star for sure no questions asked,” Green stated. “Also, I pay attention around the league, he didn’t sign that extension this summer. I love when guys bet on themselves and they deliver. Whatever contract he wants, it will be well deserved.”

Bounce-back victory for the Pistons over the Warriors

Detroit managed to win two of their three contests during their Western Conference road trip. The Pistons got back on a winning track against the Warriors after losing to the Phoenix Suns and allowing a career-high performance from Dillon Brooks.

The offensive side of the floor suffered tremendously in Detroit’s double-digit loss to Phoenix. After shooting 20.7% from 3-point range this past Thursday, the Pistons found their rhythm right away and finished the night making 38.5% of their attempts.

Detroit put together an impressive offensive attack as six different players finished scoring in double figures. Their second unit also broke out helpful scoring production by putting up 44 points against the Warriors compared to only 19 against the Suns.

Cade Cunningham led all scorers with 29 points and 11 assists. Forward Tobias Harris and guard Duncan Robinson each added 15 points for the Pistons. Backup center Isaiah Stewart led the bench with 14 points. Point guard Daniss Jenkins had a quality rebound night, scoring 12 points against Golden State.

Forward Ausar Thompson drew the responsibility of guarding star point guard Steph Curry and managed to hold his own. He played a physical style of defense all night, holding Curry to 23 points on 7-16 shooting from the field. Thompson also pulled off six steals in 28 minutes.

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