Discussing, Previewing, Predicting Jalen Duren’s Summer League
As the NBA 2K23 summer league Las Vegas series gets ready to begin, the Pistons faithful have an exciting team to stay up late for. Upon releasing the roster for the exhibition series, fans were surprised to see names like Cade Cunningham, Saddiq Bey, and Isaiah Stewart listed. However, after the first few days of the team practicing, it’s been reported that Cunningham will not suit up and Bey will also likely not play. Still, Pistons fans will have plenty to be excited for as the two lottery picks, Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren, will be repping the blue and red in the Sin City.
While Ivey, Detroit’s No. 5 pick, Ivey will have most of the attention in T-Mobile Arena, the former Memphis Tiger big man could steal the show. At 6-10, 250 pounds, Duren has a towering and imposing body. He was the youngest player of this year’s draft, despite looking like he could be the oldest and the strongest of all 60 players selected.
In his lone collegiate season, Duren’s production was often overshadowed by all the other drama going on with the Memphis program. Between the lack of production of star recruit Emoni Bates and the antics of his coach Penny Hardaway, the former high school phenom saw his name slip from being a projected top five pick. Still, Duren had a solid season averaging 12.0 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks in 25.2 minutes over 29 games for the Tigers. Every now and then there were some highlight-reel plays that caught the nation’s eye, such as when he bullied No. 2 pick, Chet Holmgren, in the second round of the NCAA tournament. Expect the same ESPN and Bleacher Report notifications to continue about Duren for the duration of the summer league.
Expectations
Besides the aforementioned highlights he’ll produce, fans should expect consistent all-around play from the traditional big man. His elite athleticism and physicality will be on display from the opening tip against the Blazers as he brings old-school grit and strength down low. Due to the two traits just mentioned, Duren was one of the best rebounders in the NBA draft. He shows decent effort in boxing out opponents and easily rises above everyone else to snatch missed shots. The No. 13 pick will be the best rebounder on Detroit’s summer league team and might be the best out of any team he plays in Vegas.
To complement his size and strength, Duren was gifted with great length and quick feet which will make him difficult to score against in the summer series. His shot-blocking ability in college was one that every coach in the nation was aware of. After the first few games of the NCAA season, it was already impossible to count fingers for the number of explosive blocks he had sent into the backboard or the third row. This is a skill that will certainly translate to the summer league and should lead to those notifications talked about earlier.
The last of Jalen Duren’s strengths that will become obvious over the next week or two will be his interior offense. Simply put, any passes the big man received in the paint in Memphis were finished for two. The 18-year old converted on 70.9% of non-post ups down low for Hardaway’s squad. He doesn’t show too much polish down low but his ability to get the ball in the basket from ten feet and in is impressive. That is a skill that Pistons' summer league coach Jordan Brink will certainly try to exploit.
What Pistons Coaches Will Be Watching
As elite as the Montverde Academy alum seems to be, there was a reason he slipped to pick 13. The Detroit coaching staff will have their eyes peeled for some areas of improvement that became clear in his college tape.
Although it was no fault of his own, Duren never really played with a traditional guard at Memphis. Consequently, he didn’t have many plays in college in the pick-and-roll. Scouts have all said that’s a skill Detroit shouldn’t worry about as his speed, size, and interior offense will translate perfectly in the PnR game so long as he has consistent guard play. Yet, the center’s ability to run the pick-and-roll will be viewed closely as he will get to play with guards like the solid playmaker Killian Hayes and Jaden Ivey for the next week and a half.
The other big concern for Duren coming out of college is his shooting ability. He didn't take many jump shots for Memphis and never attempted a three-pointer for the Tigers. The big man also shot an underwhelming 62.5% from the free-throw line. This weakness is one that coaches will be working on from day one as Duren will have to become a better shooter if he doesn’t want to follow the likes of Andre Drummond in becoming a one-dimensional center in the NBA. Look for him to try his chances in the mid-range and maybe from behind the arc in these exhibitions.
Predictions
After examining how players who have often been compared by scouts to Jalen Duren like Bam Adebayo, Andre Drummond, and Dwight Howard all played in summer league, it’s fair to expect great things from No. 0. Given his college dominance and the level of play of the summer league I predict the following stat line:
14 points, 10 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.5 blocks per game
It’s a relatively conservative prediction when you consider the numbers of past greats, but it’s one the Pistons organization would likely be ecstatic about. I’ll also predict that Duren attempts at least one three in the summer league.
Nonetheless, it’s an exciting time of the year as young players get their first feel of the NBA. The Pistons will get a chance to showcase their future starting tonight at 11:59 pm EST on ESPN when they play the Portland summer league team.
