Detroit Pistons Lose Jalen Duren to Injury vs Charlotte Hornets

Jalen Duren has been ruled out for the rest of the game against the Hornets.

Nov 3, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (0) reacts after committing a turnover in the first quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The Detroit Pistons dealt with a minor injury scare on Wednesday night on the road against the Charlotte Hornets. As the Pistons competed through the first quarter of action, the veteran center Jalen Duren rolled his ankle.

Initially, Duren stayed on the floor for the Pistons, but it wouldn’t be long before he was back in the locker room for the Pistons, getting his ankle checked out.

According to the Pistons, Duren is out for the remainder of the game in Charlotte.

Leading up to Wednesday’s matchup against the Hornets, Duren appeared in all eight games for the Pistons this year. He’s spent an average of 25 minutes on the court per game under first-year Pistons head coach JB Bickerstaff.

Compared to his sophomore season, Duren’s scoring is down slightly. He’s averaging nine points per game. On the flip side, Duren’s been making his shots at a career-high rate from the field, knocking down 86 percent of his field goal attempts. In addition to his scoring, Duren has been averaging 11 rebounds per game.

The Pistons have been getting some impressive flashes from their center group this season. While Duren is not scoring at the same rate so far this year, he’s been picking up his play by notching double-digits in scoring in four of the last six games.

Behind Duren, the Pistons have been getting some very solid contributions from the veteran Isaiah Stewart. While Stewart played a starting role at power forward last season, he embraced a return to center, even if that meant becoming Duren’s backup.

Offensively, Stewart hasn’t been as productive, putting up just four points per game through eight outings. Defensively, Stewart has been a game-changer for the Pistons coming off of the bench.

With Duren out for the rest of Wednesday’s game, Stewart and the veteran Paul Reed will have to fill in and make up for the void of the former first-round pick.