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Jalen Duren: ‘Hustle’ Will Bring Back Detroit Pistons Glory

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1 year ago

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Jalen Duren: ‘Hustle’ Will Bring Back Detroit Pistons Glory


Last season, Jalen Duren might have flown a little under the sports world’s radar. But the Detroit Pistons’ new 6-foot-11 big man made his mark as one of the NBA’s most promising rising stars.

Going into his second season with the Pistons, he’s poised to make a bigger impact in a game that seems to be increasingly influenced if not dominated by big men in the center of the action.

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Last month I got to interview Duren, and found that Detroit’s versatile young center has a sense of urgency about getting the Pistons back to the postseason. He spoke first about his mindset, coming onto a team with a history as one of the NBA’s great franchises.

“Coming in, my mindset was really just to try to add to the team,” Duren said via Zoom, in mid-August. “Also, (I want to) keep doing what I can to keep us rebuilding this team.”

Duren ended his rookie season averaging a healthy 9.1 points and 8.9 rebounds per game, while starting 31 games.

“Through year one,” Duren added, “I did what I could to the best of my abilities—and the rest is history.”

It’s no secret that the Pistons are in what some might call a painstaking rebuild. Last season, Detroit logged only 17 wins in the 82-game NBA season, and one which put them out of playoff contention early. The Pistons also posted the worst record in the NBA.

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Still, Duren’s impact on the franchise was felt immediately. For his efforts, Duren was selected to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.

When asked about his transition from one of the top college teams in the American Athletic Conference (AAC), he said that stepping into the NBA isn’t exactly like playing East Carolina and VCU.

“It was definitely an adjustment, I’d be lying if I say it wasn’t,” Duren said. “It was a lot of just figuring out my role with the team and doing what they wanted me to do.”

Duren said he learned that being instrumental in the first year of your NBA career is about balancing ambition with what’s happening real-time on the floor.

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“The first year, you want to contribute. But make sure you don’t try to do too much.”

In his single year playing for the University of Memphis during the 2021-22 season, Duren averaged a solid 12 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. He also nabbed 2.1 blocks per game.

Under ex-NBA star and Olympic gold medalist Penny Hardaway, head coach at Memphis, Duren was key in the Tigers’ return to the NCAA Tournament. He was selected with the 13th overall pick in the first round by the Charlotte Hornets, but he ended up starting his professional career with the Pistons.

Duren described playing under Hardaway, one of the 1990s’ most exciting players. He hints that Hardaway’s drive and sense of urgency—one that saw him, along with Shaquille O’Neal, take the Orlando Magic to the 1994-95 NBA Finals—is paramount to his success as a coach.

“Penny has a knack for the game. He’s one of the best players to play this game. Even after his injuries; just the mindset and how he approached the game of basketball, how serious he takes it—that, I think, made him who he was.”

Since taking over Memphis at the beginning of the 2018-19 season Hardaway’s Tigers have won at least 20 games each season. The Memphis Tigers were also crowned champions of the 2020-21 postseason’s NIT Tournament.

“My original decision to choose Memphis has to do with (Hardaway’s) knowledge of the game. I feel like my time there was great—to get that kind of NBA knowledge before (playing in the NBA) was useful for me going in.”

After his first year at Memphis Duren was named the AAC’s Freshman Player of the Year. Duren then declared for the 2022 NBA Draft.

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Big Man on and off the court

While Duren’s impact on the Pistons franchise was felt immediately, he’s also someone who is driven to make an impact on his community.

Born in Delaware, Duren spent his youth in the Sharon Hill neighborhood of Philadelphia.

After spending his first two high school seasons at Roman, Duren would eventually leave Philly and transfer to a national powerhouse school—Montverde Academy in Florida—for his junior and senior seasons.

Before making his high school team at The Roman Catholic High School of Philadelphia in Center City, and then joining Monteverde Academy for his final two high school seasons, Duren sharpened his fundamentals playing in the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) circuit and elsewhere.

Now he’s made a move to keep basketball accessible for youth in his hometown. Duren by becoming an investor and financial backer of Team Final, which is part of the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL).

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“I try to bring (basketball) back to the community, getting kids involved during the summer, before they’re ready to go back to school.” Duren added that he “came up with Team Final” since middle school and it was a big part of his personal development.

It started when Duren reconnected with Team Final coaching staff and organization owner Rob Brown, to get involved. Since then, he’s spent part of his summer as a resource to the team.

“We had had a lot of great guys and a great run this summer.”

In the mix, Team Final honored Duren by wearing his name on their uniforms, while also planning a “Jalen Duren Day” community event.

Team Final has produced over 100 NCAA Division 1 and Division 2 players since 1996, and it has had 14 of its alumni, including Duren, drafted into the NBA.

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When asked about his Pistons role as a returning veteran, Duren said it’s about excelling as a team.

“I feel like this year, we’re coming back and it’s a whole different team. We have a new coaching staff in Monty Williams. We got some guys in free agency, some guys in the draft, some rookies.”

New recruits are one thing, but Duren says Detroit has a certain ethic at work.

“We have a lot of great pieces and we’re definitely building. But we’re keeping the same Detroit Pistons hustle mentality.”



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Detroit, MI

Financial Constraints Could Prevent Detroit Tigers From Landing Dream Player

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2 hours ago

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November 24, 2024

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Financial Constraints Could Prevent Detroit Tigers From Landing Dream Player


The Detroit Tigers are coming into the offseason looking to improve after a shockingly great 2024 campaign.

Nobody saw the Tigers coming in 2024, as they went on to have one of the best second halves of a season in a long time. They were able to ride that momentum right into the playoffs, and they defeated the Houston Astros in the Wild Card Round.

When looking at the Detroit roster, it was pretty clear that manager A.J. Hinch did a magnificent job finding ways to win games. While he had the luxury of Tarik Skubal pitching every five days, there wasn’t much else in the starting rotation after trading away Jack Flaherty.

This winter, the Tigers will have the opportunity to add to a young roster that achieved a lot in 2024.

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While they had a lot of success last year, there are some areas that the team can improve upon. One of which is at third base.

Hitting was an issue at times for Detroit in 2024, as they need to become more consistent if they want to take the next step forward in 2025.

Recently, Jason Beck of MLB.com spoke about Alex Bregman being a great fit for the Tigers. However, he highlighted that financial constraints could hold the franchise back from their dream target.

“While the on-field fit with Bregman is obvious, the financial fit is another matter. The Tigers have not been a team for bidding wars; even under the late owner Mike Ilitch, they were more active finding undervalued or overlooked free agents (Pudge Rodriguez, Magglio Ordonez, Kenny Rogers) than outbidding teams for highly-sought talent. There’s a ton of payroll space in Detroit, but the Tigers just got past one long-term deal that didn’t age well (Miguel Cabrera), and still have Javier Báez for three more years. President of baseball operations Scott Harris has been more attracted to shorter-term deals and long-term flexibility, both in Detroit and in his previous job as Giants general manager. He might have to weigh how much he wants to stretch a deal to get Bregman”

Adding the gold glove third baseman would be a really good move for the Tigers for multiple reasons. As a good hitter and fielder, Bregman was able to total an impressive WAR once again last year. With three straight seasons of a WAR over 4.0, the slugger is extremely consistent.

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In addition to what he can do on the field, Bregman has a ton of experience in the league and in the playoffs. This can only help a young Tigers team that entered uncharted waters last season.

While he certainly makes sense for Detroit, he is going to be one of the highest paid free agents this offseason wherever he goes. It is very possible that the financial side of things could be the reason why they don’t get their dream target.



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Detroit, MI

How to watch the Detroit Lions vs. Indianapolis Colts – NFL: Week 12 | Channel, stream, preview

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11 hours ago

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November 24, 2024

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How to watch the Detroit Lions vs. Indianapolis Colts – NFL: Week 12 | Channel, stream, preview


INDIANAPOLIS — The Detroit Lions will look to keep up their winning ways on Sunday as they face a hungry Indianapolis Colts team looking to keep their playoff hopes alive.

  • Watch the NFL on FuboTV (7-day free trial)

Detroit Lions (9-1) vs. Indianapolis Colts (5-6)

  • When: Sunday, November 24
  • Time: 1 p.m. ET
  • Where: Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis. Ind.)
  • Channel: FOX­­
  • Stream: FuboTV (Free Trial), DirecTV Stream, Sling

The Lions put together a historic effort last Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars. In a 52-6 drubbing, Detroit recorded a franchise-record 645 yards of total offense and 38 first downs. Jared Goff had a much-needed bounce-back game, throwing four touchdowns, while David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs had standout performances on the ground. It marked the second time this year the team has hit the half-century mark in points, as they scored 52 against the Tennessee Titans last month.

The Lions continue to roll through the regular season, coming close to already securing a spot in the playoffs. They are currently first in the NFC North, one game up on the Minnesota Vikings.

While things have not been perfect in America’s Heartland, the Colts still have a shot at sneaking into a Wild Card spot. After a series of lackluster efforts during the team’s three-game losing streak, Indianapolis and quarterback Anthony Richardson stepped up last Sunday against the New York Jets. Timely stops on defense and a solid outing by their sophomore QB helped them outlast Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets.

The Colts still have some work to do. Despite being second in the AFC South, Indy is two games back of the first-place Houston Texans and one back of the last Wild Card spot in the AFC.

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The Colts are 22-20-2 against the Lions, winning four of the last five meetings.

  • Watch the NFL on FuboTV (7-day free trial)

Check out the NFL schedule



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Detroit, MI

Lions News: How Detroit became contenders in just 3 years

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19 hours ago

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November 23, 2024

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Lions News: How Detroit became contenders in just 3 years


It hasn’t been an easy road for the Detroit Lions. At this point, everyone knows the history. For decades, the franchise felt as though they couldn’t get things right. Even when there were glimmers of hope from Hall of Famers like Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson, they couldn’t get enough together to make things click.

Then, after an especially embarrassing performance on Thanksgiving back in 2020, Lions principal owner Sheila Hamp said enough was enough. She cleaned house before the end of that season and immediately began laying the groundwork of her plan to make this team a consistent winner—something the city and its fans can be proud of.

That plan led them to hire both coach Dan Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes in 2021, and the two got to work. Cameron Wolfe of the NFL Network joined “The Insiders” to discuss how the Lions have built a Super Bowl contender in Detroit, and how it wasn’t an immediate success by any means.

Wolfe dove into how Campbell leads the team, including some specific examples from left tackle Taylor Decker that really highlights just how good of a communicator Campbell is as a coach. You can listen to the full segment from Wolfe below.

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And now, onto the rest of today’s notes:

  • Lions defensive tackle DJ Reader handed out 250 Thanksgiving meals at Detroit Edison Public School Academy this Friday and ESPN’s Eric Woodyard was there to speak with Reader during the event.
  • Greg Cosell of “NFL Matchup” on ESPN breaks down the dagger concept and how Detroit’s offense executes it so well.
  • Best safety duo in the league and it’s really not much of a debate.
  • I hope Indianapolis is ready for a different shade of blue to take over their town for the weekend.





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