Pistons' Jalen Duren fulfills role as tone-setter: 'That's what we ask him to be'

Coty M. Davis, The Detroit News on Jan 21, 2025

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HOUSTON — On Monday afternoon, the Detroit Pistons were in a hurry to leave Houston. A winter storm was just a few hours away from striking the city, and due to its unfamiliarity with snow, the wintry weather already had affected their travel plans to Atlanta. The Pistons fled Houston and spent the night in Birmingham, Ala., en route to Atlanta on Tuesday.

Jalen Duren is usually one of the last players to leave the locker room on most nights. But following the Pistons' 107-96 victory over the Houston Rockets, Duren was moving with urgency. He was in such a rush that Isaiah Stewart had to shout his name because of an item he almost left in the visiting locker room of the Toyota Center.

On the floor was a red, white and blue WWE championship-style belt that he received from Marcus Sasser during their postgame celebration. The WWE belt — dubbed "Belt to Ass" — is awarded to the player who puts the team in the best position to win.

Although Cade Cunningham led Detroit with a game-high 32 points, Duren contributed 16 points and 14 rebounds to help the Pistons end their two-game losing streak.

"We’ve been getting outworked — we’ve been getting outworked in all aspects," Duren said. "That’s not the team that we’ve been. That’s not how we’ve gotten our success. Obviously, we’ve gotten our success from playing Detroit basketball, outworking teams and doing what we’re supposed to do."

Receiving the BTA honor was more than a testament to his performance in Houston. It was also an indication of how Duren fulfilled one of his most important roles as the Pistons' tone-setter.

"That's what we ask him to be," coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. "How he goes, especially how he starts the game, is how this team goes. We put a ton of pressure on him to bring that juice. To bring the energy. To help this team get off to a great start. When we are off to a good start, it bleeds throughout the rest of the game."

Alongside Stewart, Duren played a role in making Rockets star big man Alperen Sengun obsolete.

On the defensive end, Duren matched Sengun's tendencies. His physicality made his unorthodox movements ineffective, preventing Sengun from reaching his preferred spots on the offensive end. Duren's defense helped limit Sengun to well below his scoring average of 19.2, at 11 points.

On the Rockets' first possession, Duren refused to give Sengun position down on the low block. Dillon Brooks forced an entry pass to Sengun, but Duren deflected the ball. His hustle during the defensive possession led to Duren recording the first of his four steals.

He matched his defensive production on offense. During Detroit's second offensive possession, he completed a one-handed dunk over Sengun. A few possessions later, he outhustled Sengun for a follow-up dunk after a missed 3-pointer from Cunningham. By the end of the first quarter, Duren had scored 12 points and grabbed five rebounds while adding a pair of steals.

"He was amazing," Bickerstaff said. "His effort was great. His execution in coverages was great. He was a force for us on offense and defense. He was big time for us."

Duren came into his third season hoping to help the Pistons re-establish themselves as a winning team. After 43 games, his role as a tone-setter against Houston led to the Pistons recording their 22nd victory — the franchise's most since the 2021-22 season.

Duren left Houston as the fourth recipient of the BTA honor, joining Stewart, Sasser and Tim Hardaway Jr. He enjoyed the recognition on his way to Atlanta, but he hopes to have a chance to present the award to a teammate after a win against their Eastern Conference foe on Wednesday night.

He also hopes that the WWE belt will be passed down to several honorees by the end of the Pistons' five-game road trip.

"It's a testament to the hard work we have put in," Duren said. "This is where we wanted to be. I know starting the year off, our goal was to be a postseason team, and I feel like we are on track. ... We have a good energy going and will try to keep building on it."