As the NBA postseason began, Jalen Duren’s strong form completely dissipated. Following a disastrous series against the Orlando Magic, he’s reached a new low against the Cleveland Cavaliers, with potentially severe consequences.
Game 5 between the Pistons and Cavs marked the most significant game Duren has played in his career. Detroit, after two home wins, had lost two road games in Cleveland. Another home victory in Game 5 would have put them just one win away from their first Conference Finals appearance since the 2007/2008 season.
However, as the game entered its crucial final stages, Duren was benched. He spent the entire fourth quarter and overtime on the sidelines. The MIP candidate, once considered Cade Cunningham’s co-star, had seemingly lost J.B. Bickerstaff’s trust in a close loss. Instead, the head coach opted for Paul Reed, the 58th pick in the 2020 draft, who hadn’t played a single minute in the game until that point.
This decision, while perhaps surprising, wasn’t entirely unfounded and had been foreshadowed for weeks.
Duren’s All-Star Nomination and Top Seed for the Pistons
Prior to the playoffs, Duren’s season was a resounding success. Last year, he was instrumental in the Pistons’ turnaround, helping them reach the postseason after a six-year drought. In the 2025/2026 season, he elevated his game even further.
The 22-year-old saw his scoring average jump from 11.8 to 19.5 points per game, and he consistently recorded a double-double with an average of 10.5 rebounds. The center was a vital co-star alongside point guard Cunningham. This stellar performance earned him his first All-Star nomination mid-season.
When Cunningham suffered a lung collapse towards the end of the season, Duren stepped up as the primary option, leading the Pistons to the top seed in the Eastern Conference heading into the playoffs. This postseason was meant to be his grand stage.
He is set to become a restricted free agent this summer. If he were to be selected to an All-NBA team, he could potentially earn up to $287 million over the next five years. While insider reports suggest Detroit may not be willing to commit that much, Brett Siegel of Clutch Points recently stated: «Before the playoffs, the league assumed Duren would receive a contract around $200 million due to his All-NBA worthy season.»
MIP Candidate Duren Experiences a Playoff Lowlight Against the Magic
With every game played, Duren is losing potential earnings. A symbolic moment occurred in Game 4 against the Magic when Jamal Cain, filling in for Franz Wagner, posterized him. Duren had no chance to contest the dunk, stumbled backward, and fell to the floor. The NBA’s internet audience widely observed him seemingly watching his potential earnings fly away with a blank stare.
This was just the first of many playoff lowlights this year. In the previous season, Duren struggled in the first-round exit against the New York Knicks, scoring in double figures in only three of six games and grabbing double-digit rebounds in just three of six. However, this season brought cautious optimism for improvement, especially with Duren being a finalist for the Most Improved Player award after the regular season, having shown massive growth.
Yet, his playoff performance has faltered. In the surprising opening loss to the Magic, he took only four shots. It wasn’t until the decisive Game 7 that Duren finally recorded a double-double, with 15 points – his highest of the series – a stark contrast to his regular-season average of 19.2 points.
No Wemby, No Towns: Duren Struggles with ‘Old School’ Game
Publicly, Duren never doubted himself or his team during the Magic series. Despite his team falling behind 1-3, him being outplayed by Wendell Carter Jr., and being embarrassed by Cain, he declared, «This shit ain’t over!»
Indeed, the Pistons managed to come back and win the series, with Duren showing gradual improvement. He carried this momentum into the series against the Cavs, taking more than 10 shots for the first time in Game 1. The result was another double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds, which remain his series highs.
In every playoff game, his weaknesses are exposed, sometimes subtly, sometimes brutally. Unlike many modern centers like Victor Wembanyama or Karl-Anthony Towns, who are having strong playoff runs with the Spurs and Knicks respectively, Duren does not operate as a stretch big. His natural habitat remains in the paint, in an old-school fashion. He provides no spacing or shooting. His shots are taken near the rim, preferably after a pick-and-roll with Cunningham.
However, Cunningham struggled against the Magic’s aggressive defense and double teams, frequently turning the ball over. When he did drive to the basket, Duren was often hard to find as the paint was clogged. The Pistons, who also start another absolute non-shooter in Ausar Thompson alongside Duren, take the second-fewest three-pointers among all playoff teams, attempting only 28.6 per game. In contrast, their current opponents, the Cavs, attempt nearly ten more (37.6).
«Two More Than From a Dead Man»: Duren’s Rebounding Raises Questions
This issue is not new; the Pistons ranked second to last in this statistic during the regular season. However, while a crowded paint could be overcome by sheer effort in the regular season, the playoffs present a different challenge.
Where the Pistons could previously win games solely on effort, other teams have now matched that intensity. Situations that Duren could easily dunk on a few weeks ago are now tough layups. He either avoids them or misses them. Less than half of his shots are falling in the playoffs, a significant drop from the 65% he shot during the regular season.
But it’s not just his scoring that has vanished. The Cavaliers have also started to focus their defense on Cunningham in the pick-and-roll with Duren, daring Duren to catch the ball (if he can) and make a decision. The big man repeatedly appears overwhelmed by decision-making, hesitating, and his lack of confidence is evident. This extends to his defense as well.
With better and more intense preparation and simply more physicality, Duren’s rebounding has also been significantly limited. In Game 4 against the Cavs, the 6’10» player grabbed a meager 2 rebounds. NBA legend Charles Barkley incisively analyzed: «Look, as far as his rebounding is concerned: he should never only get two rebounds! That’s two more than from a dead man. Come on, man. You can never only get two rebounds!»
Duren Has Potentially «Lost Over $50 Million» in the Playoffs So Far
A meaningful resurgence in Game 5 did not materialize. He finished with 5 rebounds and 9 points in just 25 minutes of playing time. During his time on the court, the Pistons were outscored by -16, while they outscored the opposition by +14 when he was on the bench. The team lost 113:117 in overtime. While the plus-minus statistic isn’t always the full story, his minutes in previous losses were already a concerning -26. With backup Reed on the floor, the Pistons have a +8 differential.
Coach Bickerstaff had heard the calls for more minutes for Reed and Isaiah Stewart. However, before the most recent game, he reiterated his intention to give Duren another chance «to show the things we know he can do.» After all, «you don’t just give up on guys because they’re going through a bad time.»
Heading into Game 6, the 47-year-old coach will have to carefully consider whether to act as an empathetic comforter or make a tough decision to increase his team’s chances of winning. In Game 5, he made his choice clear during the crucial closing moments.
Duren himself, after his demotion to the bench, presented himself as a team player: «I felt like I could have played better in all aspects. My brothers handled the end well.»
Perhaps this is indeed better for him at the moment. As insider Siegel put it soberly: «He has likely lost over $50 million in the playoffs alone so far.» And with every subsequent disappointing performance, his summer payday may shrink even further.
NBA: Jalen Duren’s Regular Season and Playoff Statistics
| GP | MIN | PTS | FG% | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular Season | 70 | 28.2 | 19.2 | 65.0% | 10.5 | 2.0 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 1.9 |
| Postseason | 11 | 31.3 | 10.2 | 49.4% | 8.5 | 2.1 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 2.6 |