Apr 2, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (0) drives to the basket beside Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Detroit Pistons Player Maintains Spot on NBA Top 100 List

Originally posted on Detroit Pistons on SI
By Justin Grasso | Last updated Jun 7, 2025 10:20 AM ET

Earlier this year, Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham was the only player on the team to be considered a Top 100 player in the NBA, according to The Ringer. In February, Jalen Duren cracked the list.

Since then, Duren has kept his standing on the list, due to his athleticism, rebounding, finishing, and being a human highlight, according to the digital publication.

Per the latest update, which was revealed on June 4, Duren saw a slight dip, going from No. 95 to 97. A small regression is unfortunate, but the young veteran remains in a good spot heading into the 2025-2026 NBA season.

Expectations were high for Duren last year. Once the Pistons reached the regular season, they started thriving early, but Duren was viewed as a weak link early on. The big man even admitted that he needed to be better. Duren challenged himself, stepped up to the plate, and started taking care of business.

Eventually, there was no question whether he was a starting-caliber center anymore. The trade rumors pretty much disappeared, and Duren was viewed as a productive work in progress.

“For the most part, Duren knows what he can and can’t do, an element of self-awareness that’s critical for a young team learning how to win,” writes The Ringer. “He sprints the floor, creates second-chance opportunities, sets hard screens, and only attempts shots that have a very good chance of going in. … It’d be nice if Duren could space the floor a bit or even just pop out and knock down the occasional 16-footer. But the pros are beginning to silence the cons.”

These days, bigs are more versatile than ever. As the game evolves, a lot of centers have managed to become three-level scorers. Duren is clearly not that, and doesn’t seem to be eager to try to become what he hasn’t been throughout his career.

Recent rumors have suggested that the Pistons have been keeping an eye on some frontcourt floor-spacers. Minnesota’s Naz Reid is a popular player linked to Detroit lately, but that hasn’t left reports signaling that the Pistons are losing interest in Duren from a long-term view.

Detroit has something in Duren, and his standing as a Top 100 player proves that.