The Detroit Pistons took a commanding 2-0 lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers after Thursday night's win. It was a strong all-around performance, especially on the defensive side of the ball. The Pistons held the Cavs to a 107.8 offensive rating by turning James Harden's night into hell, getting a ton of steals, being active on the boards, and making just enough shots to come away with the win.
Despite the massive advantage they now have, the Pistons continue to have a few problems. The biggest one of them all remains Jalen Duren.
Jalen Duren continues to be the biggest disappointment in Pistons' playoff run
The 22-year-old center hasn't been able to turn things around through the first two games of the series. After struggling immensely in the Orlando Magic series, the hope was that Duren would be able to get going against a smaller, less physical Cavs team. Unfortunately, he has continued to be a shell of himself compared to his regular-season performance.
Following a 4/11 shooting night for 11 points in Game 1, Duren shot 2/7 from the field for eight points in 33 minutes on Thursday night. He still did enough on the boards and inside the paint that he was positive in his minutes, but it's safe to say that he was the weakest link in Detroit's starting lineup once again.
This is disappointing when Duren is going up against Jarrett Allen. Physical centers have previously given Allen trouble in the playoffs. Yet, Duren hasn't been able to exert his will inside, neither when Allen is on the court, nor when Evan Mobley is the sole big on the floor.
Throughout the regular season, Duren took major strides in his ability to create shots for himself. When given the ball at the top of the key or in the post, Duren was able to go one-on-one against his defender and score efficiently. This was a big reason why he was able to lead the league in True Shooting%.
This hasn't worked so far in the playoffs. When opposing defenses take advantage of Detroit's lack of shooting by packing the paint, Duren hasn't been able to find solutions. He ends up banging his head against the wall, turning the ball over, or committing offensive fouls.
As a result, he has more turnovers than assists in the postseason, his True Shooting went from 68.8% in the regular season to 54.1 in the playoffs, and his usage rate went from 23.6% to 16.5%. He is no longer a primary feature of the Pistons' offense. Instead, he is more of an afterthought who can only make an impact on the boards or if he finds a way to get the ball right around the basket.
The Pistons have enough to take care of the Cavs even with a subdued Duren. But, they will not have enough offense against better teams, whether that is the New York Knicks in the next round or whoever comes out of the Western Conference.
JB Bickerstaff and the Pistons need to get Duren more involved, to be sure, but it's up to Duren to be more aggressive and find ways to be more effective. Otherwise, this could be the reason the Pistons' season comes to a premature end.
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