The Detroit Pistons have finally surpassed the Washington Wizards’ win total after a 113-104 win over the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night at Little Caesars Arena. Youngster Jalen Duren put up a grown man’s stat line with 24 points, 23 rebounds and five assists, showing once again that he is simply too strong and athletic for opposing front lines at times.
The Pistons’ big man room is undergoing a facelift with Taj Gibson getting praise from Duren teammate and fellow young big man James Wiseman. Duren and Cade Cunningham showed ‘elite’ potential in a demolition of Steve Clifford’s Charlotte Hornets.
On Wednesday, Duren took center stage, doing something incredibly rare en route to a landmark Pistons victory.
Jalen Duren’s Rare Accomplishment
Duren entered rare territory with current Swiss professional basketball player and former Hawks and Rockets big man Clint Capela. He accomplished his 20/20 feat in relatively little time on the court, granting him admission to Capela’s unofficial club.
Duren’s athleticism was on full display in Detroit’s big win.
Pistons Pass Up Washington Wizards
The Pistons now have 12 wins on the season, surpassing the Washington Wizards. They have the Charlotte Hornets firmly in their sights as the Hornets have 16 wins currently.
While the Pistons’ winning ways aren’t welcomed by every single Pistons fan considering the team has been encouraged to “tank” for quite some time now, their latest wins have shown they have some juice left in the battery and plenty of talent to burn heading down the stretch. Coach Monty Williams’ team is showing signs of life as the weather is beginning to turn, and it may inspire confidence in Williams’ program moving forward.
The recent trades of players like Bojan Bogdanovic and Monte Morris have cleared up playing time for more young players and now Detroit is starting to show it could be a force to be reckoned with in the coming years.
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