Jalen Duren’s 6-11, 250-pound frame and ferocity in attacking the rim reminds Detroit Pistons coach Dwane Casey of a former perennial All-Star power forward he knows well.
“I don’t want to put too much pressure on him, but he reminds me of a guy I recruited since he was 14 -- Shawn Kemp,” Casey said. “They’re raw the same way, still got to learn the game, but have everything you can’t teach -- the athleticism, the power and the jump, the lob threat.”
The Pistons acquired Duren Thursday from the New York Knicks in a three-way draft-night deal after he was selected 13th overall by the Charlotte Hornets. That was after Detroit used the fifth pick on guard Jaden Ivey from Purdue.
They join fellow first-round picks and foundational pieces Cade Cunningham, Isaiah Stewart and Saddiq Bey on a team that feels it has accelerated its restoration process in a big way.
Duren, 18, was the youngest player in the draft. He averaged 12 points and 8.1 rebounds as a freshman at Memphis, where he enrolled after reclassifying following his junior year of high school at Montverde (Fla.) Academy, the same prep school as Cunningham.
Casey began following Duren early in the college season, after general manager Troy Weaver started talking about him. Casey spoke of excellent feedback from the Pistons’ connections to Duren, which include Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway and assistants Larry Brown, the former Pistons head coach, and Rasheed Wallace, the ex-Pistons forward.
“You see the character he brings to the table,” Casey said. “That’s what we always talk about. We may not always get the player right, but we’re going to get the person right. We got two character-young men to join our group, and very talented.”
Casey was an assistant coach at Kentucky when the Wildcats recruited Kemp and an assistant with the Seattle SuperSonics a few seasons with Kemp. He likened Duren to Kemp in his desire to “tear down the rim.”
“That’s the similarity,” Casey said. “Shawn was a little bit bigger in his shoulders, but the same lob threat, attacking the rim, tearing-the-rim-down ability that Shawn had. Shawn developed his shooting in his second and third and fourth year after hours of work, and that’s what Jalen’s got to do, put himself in the gym, work on his shooting, but not put pressure on himself that that’s what he’s got to do to play this year. That’s going to come with hours and hours of work in the gym.”
While Ivey might start as a rookie, Duren will need more time to develop. But the Pistons expect him to contribute in 2022-23.
“I told him there’s three ways he gets on the floor – run his butt off in transition, offensively and defensively; defend his behind off, and then rebound,” Casey said. “We’ll worry about the shooting next.
“I said that about Isaiah Stewart. I said that about all the young, big guys I’ve had, to not put too much pressure on them. I hope he develops into who Shawn Kemp was as a player, but he has the same physical attributes that Shawn had.”
Casey sees situations where Stewart will be on the floor with Duren.
“Hopefully, Isaiah continues to improve his 3-point shooting, which will help him play with Jalen,” Casey said. “That’s the vision I have, spotting up Isaiah in the corner. He’s going to be a magnificent rim threat and can spot up Marvin (Bagley) on the outside. (Duren) is probably going to be the roller if he’s playing with Marvin or Isaiah, and even with Kelly (Olynyk). He’s definitely a roll threat with any combination.”
Duren called it a “blessing” to be in Detroit, saying this is where he wanted to be after working out for the Pistons.
“I fell in love with the organization,” Duren said. “I told my agent this is where I want to be. After the trade I got excited.
“I feel like being in this organization is going to help me develop and grow. Coming in with a player like Jaden is going to help my game. I feel like I’m in a great spot for my future.”
More:
Troy Weaver’s aggressiveness at draft leads to ‘incredible night’
Pistons envision dynamic backcourt of Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey
"about" - Google News
June 27, 2022 at 06:28AM
https://ift.tt/MagR4O5
Pistons preach patience with Jalen Duren but excited about raw talent - MLive.com
"about" - Google News
https://ift.tt/xMW7C0N
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Pistons preach patience with Jalen Duren but excited about raw talent - MLive.com"
Post a Comment