DETROIT — Long after Tuesday’s practice had ended at the Detroit Pistons’ facility, Jalen Duren remained on the court, working in the post with one assistant coach clinging to his back, another camped out in the paint and a third assistant on the perimeter ready to smother the All-Star big man once the ball was in his hands.
Duren was trying to simulate the kind of packed paint he might face again against the Orlando Magic in Game 2 of their best-of-seven series on Wednesday. The Pistons’ center was limited to just eight points and seven rebounds while taking only four shots.
Duren made it clear that he will be much more aggressive in Game 2.
“That’s not enough,” Duren repeated twice of going 3-for-4 from the field. “And that’s on me. I just got to be better for my guys.”
Duren, who is in his fourth year is a finalist for Most Improved Player, averaged 19.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and 65% shooting to help the Pistons win 60 games and claim the top seed in the Eastern Conference. He credited the Magic for a good defensive game plan of packing the paint and collapsing on him but also, more than anything, coming out with more intensity.
The Magic needed to win the 8-9 play-in game last Friday against Charlotte to secure the eighth seed. After underachieving this season while dealing with frustrating injuries and inconsistency, the Magic pummeled the Hornets, 121-90. They rediscovered their suffocating and physical defense and took that into Game 1 to stun the Pistons.
Detroit knows it has to answer on Wednesday.
“We know the type of team we are,” Duren said. “We feel like we’re the better team. We know that we just got to make adjustments and come out smarter, play harder.”
A major adjustment will be to get Cade Cunningham more help. The All-Star guard had 39 points, five rebounds and four assists but only one other Piston, Tobias Harris, scored in double figures with 17 points.
Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said his team has to play more to its identity of physicality and defense. And getting his All-Star center going will be massive.
“We got to put the ball on his hands,” Bickerstaff said. “I think they did a good job of pinching his pick-and-roll and not letting him get the ball in the pick-and-roll. But we have to do a better job of letting him touch it in different places and then he can be effective.”
Duren knows that he and his team will come out and look more like the No. 1 seed in the East than it did in Game 1.
“We’re better than what we put forth and what we showed in Game 1,” Duren said. “So I have no doubt in my mind that we’re going to bounce back and respond like we have all season.”
