Jalen Duren takes inspiration from Bam Adebayo to progress

If, in Detroit, the spotlight was mainly on Jaden Ivey, another rookie showed up this season: Jalen Duren. Born on November 18, 2003, the interior has the distinction of being the youngest player in the league. However, despite his young age, he is a potential double-double machine, with 15 already this season. He thus averages 8.7 rebounds per game, the best mark among rookies.

“I know how I can influence the game, using the best of my body and the talents that God has given me” he explains. “I can try to go every time. It’s hard, but I enjoy it. I go on the floor and the coaches know that I will try to get every offensive rebound, every defensive rebound. I don’t look at the numbers and stuff too much, but I’m really going to try to keep doing it.”.

The Pistons did everything to get him back in the last Draft, accepting Kemba Walker’s contract to get their hands on him. A bet for the moment paying off because the rookie, author of 8.7 points and 8.7 rebounds this season, shows great things. And for the future, Jalen Duren has already found his role model: Bam Adebayo.

“Some players just influence the game by scoring, others do it defensively, which is not bad. But I feel like Bam is a guy who affects the game in every way, in terms of commitment, IQ, defensive mindset, scoring ability…”

“I was watching Bam even before I was in the league” confess the rookie. “He’s one of the players I really watch because he’s a ‘big man’ who does a lot of things. You can talk about the technical factor, but it’s mainly its influence on the game in several ways that I observe. Some players just influence the game by scoring, others do it defensively, which is not bad. But I feel like Bam is a guy who affects the game in every way, in terms of commitment, IQ, defensive mindset, scoring ability… That’s what I try to do. I love playing basketball, I love winning and I love playing basketball the right way”.

Dwane Casey appreciates this comparison, and even encourages his player to watch videos of the Floridian.

“He’s a rookie, he’s focused and learning. He understands the level of intensity he has to play with.” told the coach. “With no disrespect to anyone, I showed him videos of Bam, of his way of running. I don’t like to give opposing players a lot of credit, but Bam is one of the best in the league at moving up the field, playing with intensity on every possession. This is how he should run. It may seem trivial, but if he steps up a gear, his qualities will also improve and his contributions will be much greater, because I know he is able to run every time he is on the pitch..

Despite his very young age, 19-year-old Jalen Duren has already shown he can be a big rebounder, but he also knows he can still improve several aspects of his game to reach his full potential.

“I talk a lot about this with the coach” he concludes. “I know that he believes in me a lot and especially in my athletic abilities. I trust that too. I can reach a higher level by going up the field more quickly. I feel like it helps the team a lot more. I work on it like I work on all the other aspects of my game. I keep improving”.