Though Jalen Rose is the most well-known Jalen to come out of Detroit, rookie Jalen Duren is out to make his own mark in the Motor City.

The former Memphis Tiger just signed his rookie-scale deal with the Detroit Pistons on Thursday, and that has gotten fans quite excited.

Duren averaged 12.0 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.1 blocks, and 1.3 assists for Memphis. That earned him the AAC Freshman of the Year award. On November 19, he had a monster game. He put up 20 points, 19 rebounds, and 5 blocked shots to become only the fourth freshman to do so since the 2010–11 season.

Together with another Detroit rookie in Jaden Ivey, Duren represents a significant portion of the Pistons' future. The two are anticipated to be part of the team's core for years to come.

Jalen Duren was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2021 class as he joined the Memphis Tigers. At 6'11” and weighing 250 lbs, Duren has the physique of a top-tier modern big man.

Check this, too — despite actually being the youngest player in the 2022 NBA Draft, Duren looks like he's one of the most seasoned and one of the strongest of all 60 rookies picked. That's a good sign for a Pistons squad that is rebuilding to become a contender once more.

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Jalen Duren Bold Pistons Predictions

2. Duren will be the Pistons' best backup big

Duren is a talented athlete who carries out the duties of a big man quite well. He is a good playmaking big who can also block a ton of shots. In college, Duren was a machine around the rim with dunks and put-backs, shooting 59.0 percent from the field.

He also provided superb rim protection and a defensive anchor with his 2.0 blocks per game. Duren was endowed with outstanding length and fast feet to go along with his bulk and power. That makes it challenging for anybody to score against him. In college, it was a pretty common sight for Duren to send shots to the third row or bang them against the backboard.

He was mostly automatic whenever he received passes around the basket or in the paint. At Memphis, he converted on 70.9 percent of his non-post-up attempts in the paint. Although he needs to work on his back-to-the-basket game, he is noteworthy for his ability to finish strong from 10 feet and in.

Duren was also considered among the top rebounders selected in the NBA Draft. He boxes out opponents really well, and he stands out from the crowd by readily catching failed attempts. Don't be shocked if he averages double-digit rebounding for the Pistons this summer.

In his rookie season, however, Duren will play behind Marvin Bagley III and Isaiah Stewart. He may even play behind Nerlens Noel and/or Kelly Olynyk early in the season, but he should supplant them as the team's most reliable backup big man by March or April.

1. Duren will be the Pistons' worst perimeter big man

On the other hand, Duren's shooting is a major area of worry. For Memphis, he didn't take many jump shots, and he never attempted a three-point shot. The big guy also had a dismal free-throw percentage of just 62.5 percent. The Pistons' skill coaches will surely start working on this area right away since Duren needs to improve his shooting if he wants to avoid becoming a one-dimensional center like former Piston Andre Drummond. For the coming season, expect Duren to try his luck from mid-range and maybe even a handful from behind the arc.

At worst, Duren is comparable to the aforementioned Drummond, DeAndre Jordan, and maybe even Bam Adebayo. On the flip side, if Duren can improve his perimeter game while continuing to grow his passing and inside scoring, he can approximate the play style of no less than the reigning NBA MVP himself.

Duren really does have a tantalizing upside, but it could really go either way. Still, it's perfectly reasonable to anticipate big things from No. 0. Detroit native Jalen Rose will likely keep a close eye on his namesake as Duren tries to make stamp his class for the Pistons.