After a slow start to the season, Jalen Duren has found his stride over the last week, delivering consecutive strong performances as the Pistons improved to 4-2 on the season.
On Saturday, the 21-year-old big man had his career night in Mexico City, putting up a career-high 33 points, while adding 10 rebounds, two assists, a block, and a steal in only 29 minutes of action. His five personal fouls prevented him from playing more, and it continues to be an area of improvement for Duren, but his overall play suggests that he may be one of the most improved players in the NBA.
The most impressive part of Duren's performance against the Mavs was his 13-for-16 shooting from the field and 7-for-8 shooting from the charity stripe. He was a dominant interior presence all game, getting good post position and finding ways to get open. Combining that with his physicality and finishing, Duren was completely unstoppable.
After Saturday night, Duren is now 33-for-39 (84.6%) for the season from the free throw line. He shot 66.9% from the line last season, highlighting a massive improvement for the fourth-year player. He has also improved his points per game from 11.8 to 17.8 without an increase in his minutes.
He has also been a more effective offensive rebounder, averaging a career-high 4.5 offensive rebounds per game. Per CleaningTheGlass, Duren ranks second in the league in offensive rebound percentage behind Steven Adams.
Jalen Duren Puts Himself on the Map in Most Improved Player Race
This puts him on the map in the Most Improved Player race. Before the season, the only Piston considered among the frontrunners for the award was Ausar Thompson. On BetMGM, Thompson had the third-best odds to win the award before the season, right behind his twin brother, Amen. Matas Buzelis and Josh Giddey of the Chicago Bulls, Deni Avdija of the Portland Trail Blazers, and Austin Reaves of the Los Angeles Lakers were among other favorites to win the award.
Giddey, Reaves, and Avdija are all off to great starts and should continue to be strong candidates. Duren, on the other hand, will be an under-the-radar option if he keeps this up, as he is still not listed as an option on most betting markets.
Last season, Duren showed significant improvement on the defensive side of the ball. His defensive awareness and rim protection took a big step forward. Now, he is showing similar improvement on the offensive end. He is using his body better, is more physical in the paint, and has clearly worked on his touch. Thanks to being a more improved offensive player now, he could establish himself not only as an MIP candidate but also as one of the best young two-way centers in the league.