The Detroit Pistons have fallen to 7-11 after having a chance to get back to .500 against the Chicago Bulls on November 18th. As the season has gone on, while the Pistons are certainly better than they were last year, their weaknesses are starting to get exploited by opposing teams. One of those weaknesses is the defensive capabilities of their starting center: Jalen Duren.
Jalen Duren’s Defensive Struggles
Duren is a third-year player and just turned 21 years old. The young big man is a talented offensive player, with flashing ball-handling skills and the ability to make quick reads as a passer with the ball in his hands. He’s also improved his footwork around the rim and is a great finisher. However, many are starting to disregard his offensive talents due to his struggles on the other end of the floor.
Not only is Duren, not a versatile defensive big man. he’s a big who struggles at most requirements defensively. While he’s been a more active defender around the rim, he’s not improved enough to where the impact is felt. He is averaging 1.1 blocks per game, a career-high; but, again, it is a very minor improvement.
His struggles guarding bigs with ball skills get exploited to a wild degree. When the Pistons go against any big with the ability to stretch the floor, it immediately causes issues for Duren and the team’s defense. Along with these concerns, Duren often finds himself either having a mental lapse or not knowing where he’s supposed to be on a given defensive possession.
You would feel more inclined to ride this out with a young man on such a young team if there wasn’t another young big on the roster where the difference is vastly noticed.
Isaiah Stewart’s Play
How well Isaiah Stewart has played is making this a tough situation for head coach J.B. Bickerstaff and the Pistons. The team has performed much better with Stewart on the floor, especially on the defense end of the floor.
The Pistons’ defense is 7.5 points better with Stewart on the floor, and they play at a league-best 106.5 defensive pace when he’s on the floor. Compare that to Duren, where the team is 5.8 worse with him on the floor. Stewart is not only a more versatile defender, he’s simply a more aware and capable defender. For a team trying to hang its hat on the defensive end, it’s hard to ignore it. However, what is more damning to Duren is the offensive numbers.
Duren is supposed to be making his impact felt on the offensive end of the floor, however, the team is also playing better with Stewart on that end! The team has a 109.9 offensive rating with Stewart and is 1.7 points better with him on the floor, whereas with Duren the team has a 108.2 offensive rating and is 2.3 points worse with him on the floor.
The Dilemma
The question the Pistons must answer for themselves is whether they care more about winning games and chasing a play-in spot for this young team, or if they prioritize developing their players over wins in the fifth year of a rebuild.
If their goal is to win, there is a very clear area of needed improvement that’d make the team instantly better and gain more wins. If the goal is to develop over wins, Detroit will continue to sacrifice the on-court immediate product with the hope it’ll pay off in the long run.
