Jalen Duren shows increased offensive aggression to help lead stamps past the bullls

Detroit – Jalen Duren had just connected to Cade Cunningham to his second lob finish of the game. He was more animated than usual and obviously enjoyed himself.

He interacted with fans sitting in the court’s baseline: “Oh sh -!” He shouted at the lobe.

The enthusiasm was understandable when he was on his way to a season high 21 points, which helped Detroit Pistons to a 127-119 win over Chicago Bulls.

Even beyond Sunday’s performance, the major is in the middle of its best season. He average 12.8 points (71.2 percent shooting), 11.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.2 blocks across 17 games since January 1st. Of these 11.5 rebounds, 4.3 have been on the offensive glass. He had 13 rebounds in the victory against Bulls.

If the duration can take advantage of this level of effort and maintain it nightly, he can help Cunningham change the course of the franchise this season.

Durens recent Uptick in productivity has raised the ceiling in Detroit’s unit as a whole. Even apart from one or two ordinary lobs dare catches a game from Cunningham, the aggression has shown at both ends of the floor during this stretch enabled the team to be more dynamic.

“He has an energy that affects the game on both sides of the ball,” said Piston’s coach JB Bickerstaff before the game. “At his best, he is dominant in the painted area on both sides of the ball. With his size, strength and athletics, he brings a package of skill. You will see him and he will lead the break for us.

“He has thrown his teammates Alley-ups. He has made some really good passes in small spaces that you see from the outside, you don’t get to see all the time. “

It was almost as if Bickerstaff knew his big husband would find Tobias Harris for a transition can after weaving his way through Coby White and Josh Giddey, who started from the half -course.

Later, the duration caught an offensive rebound and found a small window for a caring for a cutting Ausar Thompson for two points.

Dur’s playmaking and ability to generate points in the second chance was just part of what allowed him to succeed in this matchup. He seemed to seek offensive opportunities for himself more often, as shown in his only 20-point performance in the season so far.

With 3:39 back in the first half, the major improvised and read out of a theater piece that did not look as if it was called for him to score. Marcus Sasser curled around an off-ball screen from Thompson looking for a dribbling management from the major. Instead, the duration between his legs went from left to right to settle in the position with Nikola Vučević on his back.

Duren gave Vučević two body strikes using the full brown of his 250 -pound frame to disarm Vučević before setting up a two -handed sludge.

“He’s just a super competitive guy,” Cunningham said of Duren Postgame. “He would find ways to help us more. He would do more and he would continue to get better. That’s what he has done. I still say he’s been all over the floor and it’s a handful for teams to deal with.

“With his size, his strength, his ability to cover the floor, it is a lot for teams to deal with. It’s just about his thinking that goes into the game and he’s been great. “

Although these plays may seem routine for someone who has not seen much of the major, his offensive progression has taken time. And each of the above players illustrates the potential growth of the major as he continues to explore the boundaries of his offensive game. While this is his third season, he was just 21 years in November.

In a seemingly impatient NBA, it seems that Detroit’s patience pays yield. The duration, which had one of its best matches of the season, helped get the stamps (25-24) back over .500 and out to a 2-0 start for their six-game homestand.

During this race, Duren has shown a glimpse of player Detroit has thought he could be since he drafted him. Can a strong other half of the regular season catapul him in a breakout season next year?

For the duration he is just thinking about here and now.

“We haven’t done anything yet, you know?” He said Friday after a 16-point, 13-bread effort in a 117-102 victory against Dalla’s Mavericks. “We just build; We are still waking up people. But I think you can see that spark. You can see that there is something there is something to grow on and we will continue to grow. We will continue to build and move on. “

(Photo: Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)