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Remember all the hand-wringing and teeth-gnashing a few weeks ago about Jalen Duren? Would he take the qualifying offer, the nuclear option? Even if he signed a long-term contract – always the overwhelmingly likely option – would bruised feelings ruin the vibe that made the Pistons the NBA’s feel-good story over the past two years?
Duren dispelled 98 percent of those concerns with his thoughtful handling of the press conference that announced his return and obliterated the remaining 2 percent in Wednesday’s preseason debut.
Duren was the headliner on what was a very good night for the Pistons, scoring 24 points in a sublime 15-minute outing that ended at halftime. It was as close as it gets to a meaningful NBA preseason game with two teams, each viewing itself as one that plays deep into the spring, each using a regular-season rotation template for most of 36 minutes, at which time the Pistons led by 15 on their way to a 128-106 win.
Other than fouling too much early – the Timberwolves were a perfect 15 of 15 at the foul line in the first quarter as they built their lead to 10 by early in the second – the Pistons played their kind of defense (Minnesota shot 38.2 percent), shared the ball (32 assists on 45 buckets), gang rebounded (a 45-34 edge) and ceded not a square inch of hardwood to a very good, very experienced basketball team.
Duren, who appeared straight from central casting as the ideal of the modern NBA center’s physique even when he arrived as an 18-year-old, looked somehow stronger, sleeker and more explosive than ever, more rounded and skilled and sure of himself than he did in year four when he broke out with his first All-Star appearance and earned a third team All-NBA berth.
“I had to take my time to get back right, get in somewhat game shape,” Duren told Scripps Sports’ Kara Liles on the Target Center court after the game. “I was happy to be back playing the game I love, happy to be back with my teammates I love. I’m ready to keep it going.”
He hit halftime with an eye-popping stat line: 24 points on 8 of 9 shooting and 8 of 8 free throws to go with three rebounds, an assist, two steals and a blocked shot.
“He’s a force of nature,” new teammate Isaiah Joe told Liles in the locker room. “When he’s out there doing his thing, he’s hard to stop.”
Late in the half, Duren strung together a smorgasbord of skills that underscored a summer well spent, spearing a rebound in traffic at the defensive end, breaking out himself with a left-handed dribble that carried him to half-court as he veered to the left sideline before unleashing a devastating crossover dribble and exploding with one more dribble into the paint to soar for a dunk aborted only by a foul to prevent a sure two points and utter embarrassment.
“I feel good, just happy to be back with my guys,” Duren said. “Happy to be back with the coaching staff. It’s been a good week. Been able to get up and down, get acquainted, meet some of the new guys and I’m just ready for the season.”
Duren’s first half was enough. It was by design, but if it hadn’t been it was still a full night’s work even if Duren hadn’t been absent for all of the September voluntary team workouts at the Pistons Performance Center plus the first week of training camp and the first two preseason games.
“I thought he was aggressive,” Bickerstaff said. “He looked really fast and quick. He was attacking, playing free on both sides of the floor. He did a great job setting the tone for us. It was his first go, so I expect him to continue to get better.”
Elsewhere, what have we learned after the thoroughly impressive romp in Minnesota?
- Bickerstaff continues to indicate he’s dead serious about utilizing Ausar Thompson as a playmaker and getting Cade Cunningham off the ball to not only diversify the offense but to give Cunningham more angles of attack and more energy when it matters. Especially in the first segment of the first quarter, Cunningham was employed almost as a decoy with Thompson bringing the ball up and getting the Pistons into their offense – and it looked perfectly functional. Thompson played 21 minutes and took just one shot but collected four assists. The plan for him is to go beyond the 26 minutes a game he played last season, Bickerstaff has said, and he’s going to be gradually entrusted with more responsibility on the offensive end to go with his enormous role at the other end.
- It sure looks like Bickerstaff intends to use an 11-man rotation, as he did much of last season when the Pistons had a fully available roster. Again, Wednesday appeared a full-blown test run for the regular season for both teams and Bickerstaff used 11 players in the first half. The presumed starting five (Cunningham, Thompson, Duren, John Collins, Duncan Robinson) plus Kevin Huerter, Isaiah Joe, Paul Reed, Ron Holland II, Daniss Jenkins and Javonte Green off the bench.
- About that “when the Pistons had a fully available roster” part. History suggests that’s not going to happen consistently, so the “deep depth” becomes important. The Pistons had relatively good injury fortune last season but still needed everyone on the roster to get to 60 wins, including Chaz Lanier, Paul Reed as the third-string center, Marcus Sasser and Jenkins on a two-way contract for the first 50 games. Lanier appears a significantly better player this season who has a chance to follow the career arc of the two players blocking his path to playing time, undrafted Duncan Robinson and late second-rounder Isaiah Joe. Even after trading Isaiah Stewart and elevating Paul Reed to backup center, the Pistons sure look to have a rotation-worthy No. 3 center in Tolu Smith, who rolls out of bed with six rebounds under his belt. Taurean Prince has been a rotation staple for a decade, not to mention a 40 percent 3-point shooter. And we finally get to first-round rookie Ebuka Okorie, whose flashes are scintillating.