The Detroit Pistons remain on top of the Eastern Conference standings, and it's no coincidence that they stand as one of the favorites to make it to the NBA Finals. Their young core has matured to the point of dominance, and on Tuesday night, it was once again Jalen Duren's turn to be the star for his team.
In a 130–117 win over the Washington Wizards, Duran put his shorthanded frontcourt to the sword and put up 36 points and 12 rebounds on 13-17 shooting from the field and 10-11 from the foul line. The Wizards allow a large number of players to come through the opposing frontcourt, and Duran made the most of the pillow-soft matchups.
And in doing so, according to OptaStats on
Allowing opponents to record Chamberlain-esque stat lines appears to be the Wizards' MO, but that shouldn't discredit how impressive Duren was on Tuesday. Duren still had to work hard to get to those numbers, and he still had to lock down. And now, the Pistons are knocking on the door of a 50-win season – an amazing development for a team that just not long ago was the worst team in NBA history.
Are the Pistons still the team to beat in the East?
The Pistons have been on top of the East for most of the season, but they have some ways to go before they can convince most fans that they are the team to beat in the conference.
The Boston Celtics recently got Jayson Tatum back, the New York Knicks have some battle-tested veteran stars, and the Cleveland Cavaliers will now be eager to get a big win. But the Pistons have shrugged off fans' skepticism in the past, and perhaps flying under the radar in a playoff setting will do wonders for their competitive psyche.
