How the Detroit Pistons can survive without Jalen Duren and Tobias Harris

The Detroit Pistons top-ranked defense goes as Jalen Duren goes. MVP candidate Cade Cunningham relies on forward Tobias Harris to shoulder some of the offensive workload by scoring 13.4 points per game.

Jalen Duren sprained his ankle on a successful layup attempt against the Miami Heat Thursday January 1. Harris sprained his left hip against the Los Angeles Lakers Tuesday December 30. Duren is slated to miss about one week while Harris is set to be re-evaluated in two weeks.

Duren is on pace to make the All-Star Game and, like Harris, has a significant offensive responsibility. This is going to be an interesting for head coach JB Bickerstaff going into this stretch of games without two important contributors.

Defensive adjustments

Jalen Duren is the ultimate rim protector.

Duren is an extremely athletic big who can meet slashers at the rim and he's quick enough to shuffle his feet on the perimeter against wings. He alters the way in which an offense operates by keeping opposing players out of the paint. The two most valuable shots in the modern NBA are the layup and the three-point shot. Duren makes one of those very difficult to achieve on Detroit.

Duren's presence on the court also allows for defensive standout Isaiah Stewart to roam the court as a fierce secondary rim protector. The 6-foot-8 Stewart stepped into the starting center spot against the Cleveland Cavaliers Sunday afternoon. Paul Reed was moved into the starting power forward spot and rounded out a lineup of Cunningham, Ausar Thompson, and Duncan Robinson. A front court of Stewart and Reed is an undersized one, but a defensively versatile one as well.

Tolu Smith?

Tolu Smith is a 6-foot-11 big man who was signed by the Detroit Pistons after the 2024 NBA Draft as a undrafted free agent. He was signed to a two-way contract and has mostly played with the Pistons G-League affiliate Motor City Cruise. As the team grows thin in the height department and as the 25-year-old Smith continues to perform in the G-League, it might be worth giving the forward out of Mississippi State 10 to 15 minutes of game time soon.

Smith is averaging 18.6 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks while shooting 64.8% from the field in 16 G-League games this season. He's also a willing passer averaging 3.1 assists. Smith has played in just two regular season games this season and one regular season game last season.

Smith averaged 11 minutes of game time, 8.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and one assist in two games this season. He scored 14 points and collected eight rebounds in his one game last season. The forward made the All-SEC team twice throughout his productive collegiate career.

31.3 points are off the board

Duren is averaging 17.9 points this season and he's the Pistons second-leading scorer. He's been a reliable pick-and-roll partner for Cunningham and has been a fun lob threat for Pistons fans to watch. Tobias Harris has always known how to get a bucket on his own and he does a great job of making Cunningham's life easier out on the perimeter. His veteran presence and offensive versatility as a 6-foot-8 shot creator should give Cunningham security out on the court.

The points will need to come from somewhere if the Pistons want to stay No. 1 in the Eastern conference. Detroit still sits at No. 1 with a 25-9 win-loss record. The New York Knicks are 2.5 games behind Detroit at No. 2 with a win-loss record of 23-12.

Expect guard Daniss Jenkins to recapture his spot in the rotation due to this absence after a five-game stretch playing less than 10 minutes. Look for guards Jaden Ivey, Marcus Sasser, and Duncan Robinson to increase their shot attempts as well.