Jalen Duren is looking to make amends with the Detroit Pistons for his lackluster performance in the previous playoffs by adding a crucial element to his game.
According to Duren, in his interview with The Athletic’s Hunter Patterson, the plan is for him to add a 3-point shot to his arsenal. This is to add another layer to his game and not be a one-dimensional big in his career.
“Hell yeah,” Duren said when asked if there is a plan for him to shoot more 3s this season. “I mean, it’s time. Just putting in the work, bro. Getting up shots all summer, working on my game all summer, trying to become a better player. I know the coaching staff believes in me.”
Jalen Duren Is Far From A 3-Point Shooter
At the start of his NBA career, Duren does not focus on 3-point shooting and has rarely attempted 3-pointers for the Pistons.
Duren has never made a 3-pointer in his NBA career, remaining completely unproven from beyond the arc.
As a traditional, dominant center for the Detroit Pistons, Duren operates almost exclusively inside the paint, leveraging his elite athleticism for dunks, lob finishes, and second-chance put-backs.
Across his first four seasons in the league, he has only attempted 6 total 3-pointers in the regular season, launching 2 as a rookie in 2022-2023, 4 during the 2023-2024 season, and bypassing the long-range shot with 0 attempts across the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 campaigns.
Duren occasionally tests his range, such as missing a lone top-of-the-key attempt during a recent preseason game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Last season, Duren scaled up his volume inside the paint to average a career-high 19.5 points per game while still anchoring his efficiency at a remarkable 65.0% from the floor, ranking fourth across the entire league.
The Pistons finished with the best record in the Eastern Conference last season before losing in Game 7 against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second round of the playoffs.
Jalen Duren Gives Self Assessment After NBA Return
Duren scored 24 points in 15 minutes of play during his first preseason game with the Pistons.
He gave his assessment of himself after the game.
“I feel good, man. Just happy to be back with my guys. Happy to be back with the coaching staff. It’s been a good week, man,” Duren said in the broadcast.
“I’ve just been able to get up and down, kind of get back acquainted, meet some of the new guys, man, and I’m just, you know, ready for the season. Wasted no time getting back to it. You had a whole game’s worth of production in about 15 minutes,” Duren added.
Coming off an All-NBA breakout regular season, Duren’s camp sought a maximum extension worth up to $287 million from the Pistons, but the front office hesitated due to his sharp postseason performance decline and long-term salary cap flexibility.
Tensions escalated further when the front office inserted a strict weight-monitoring clause into negotiations and reportedly evaluated him as only the team’s fourth-best player, prompting Duren to hold out from media day and the start of training camp.
The standoff officially resolved on October 1, when the Pistons and Duren agreed to a five-year, $200 million fully guaranteed contract just hours before the league’s qualifying offer deadline.
Duren is again expected to be a valuable long-term piece for the Pistons alongside superstar and All-NBA player Cade Cunningham.
Pistons’ Jalen Duren Reveals Crucial Career Move Ahead of New Season