Detroit Pistons’ franchise center will be out of action for a couple of weeks from another ankle injury.
Why It Matters For the Detroit Pistons and Jalen Duren
Center Jalen Duren is reportedly expected to miss the next two weeks for the Detroit Pistons from an ankle injury. Duren sprained his ankle on Wednesday against the Memphis Grizzlies after twisting it on an opponent’s foot on the way down from grabbing a rebound.
This is the third time this season Duren has dealt with an ankle injury. The first diagnosed episode was after the Pistons’ fourth game of the season against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He was limited to only 23 minutes and missed the next game against the Portland Trailblazers.
Duren tried playing through the pain but ended up sitting for a few more games to heal properly. The Pistons have been without Duren for seven of the 21 games they have played this season.
Ankle injuries were a chronic issue for the 20-year-old center in his rookie year in 2022-23. He missed a total of 15 games last season all due to separate ankle injuries. Duren also missed another game last season from cervical whiplash.
Injuries have been a repetitive problem for the Pistons all season. They have been down as many as seven players throughout the roster and were finally starting to get as healthy as they’ve been all year. Duren, Bojan Bogdanovic, Isaiah Livers, Monte Morris, Alec Burks, Jaden Ivey, Killian Hayes, and Joe Harris have all missed extended time due to injury or illness.
Detroit has a thin rotation at center on their roster. Head Coach Monty Williams will have to shuffle between Isaiah Stewart, Marvin Bagley III, and James Wiseman in the absence of Duren.
The Pistons return back to action on Friday when they take on the Orlando Magic on the road. They are currently trying to break an 18-game losing streak and will have to try without their franchise center for the next couple of weeks.
