NBA: Power ranking all 30 starting centers on every team for 2024-25
17. Jalen Duren, Detriot Pistons
Heading into the start of the season, there is a lot on the line for the Detroit Pistons. Their young core needs to start showing signs of promise and if they do, there's one particular player in the frontcourt who could end up popping - and that's Jalen Duren. On paper, Duren should be considered a rising starting center in the league. When it comes to pure measurables, there's a ton to like about Duren. He has great size, athleticism, and has a strong skill set for a center in the modern NBA.
What Duren lacks is the consistency that every star player generally shows by year three. As Duren prepares for his third season in the league, that's one of the biggest development signs to look for in his game. Coming off a season in which he averaged 14 points and 12 rebounds on 62 percent shooting from the field, it's easy to see why the Pistons would be excited about his potential.
Duren has the raw skill set to be a top 10-12 center in the league one day. Whether he can put it all together is an entirely different question.