The Detroit Pistons suffered a major blow when Cade Cunningham suffered a lung injury and will be out indefinitely. Jalen Duren will have to take over with Cunningham out. He is currently the favorite on DraftKings for the Most Improved Player award. There is no timetable for Cunningham, and that means Duren will take on more responsibilities.
Duren has a chance to show what he can do with Cunningham out of the lineup. The Pistons have played seven games without Cunningham this season, and have had mostly positive results, going 5–2 in the seven games. Currently, they are 49–19, which is the best record in the Eastern Conference. But they are only 3.5 games ahead of the Boston Celtics, and will have to hold on to maintain the top spot in the East.
Duren is averaging 19 points and 10.6 rebounds per game while shooting 64.2%. This is a huge jump from the 2024-25 season, when he averaged 11.8 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. Duren does not mind putting pressure on the team. Most recently, he scored 36 points while shooting 13 of 17 from the field in a 130–117 win over the Washington Wizards. He also had 30 points while shooting 12 of 15 against the Memphis Grizzlies.
With no Cunningham in the lineup, Duren will likely be the first option for the Pistons as they attempt to finish with home-court advantage during the Eastern Conference playoffs. There are 14 games left on the schedule and Duran has ample opportunity to claim his prize and cement his legacy. A bigger stretch would give them home-court advantage and potentially make them stronger as a unit. This will prepare them for when Cunningham is ready to return.
