James Edwards: I feel one of many largest points for the Pistons this yr was a scarcity of rim safety. For the entire upside Duren has as a man who’s already an elite rebounder at 20 years previous and has good contact across the rim with some playmaking stuff right here and there, he’s actually acquired to enhance defensively. I feel it goes again to what I mentioned on the prime of the podcast the place I feel the state of affairs Detroit finds itself – and the place it’s gotten worse yearly of this rebuild – is there’s strain to be higher ahead of later. I don’t suppose they’ve the posh of what most rebuilding groups do, which is to let their guys develop. I feel Nicolas Claxton would positively test a field, which Detroit desperately wants checked, which is inside protection. Isaiah Stewart is a extremely good defender in house and on the perimeter. He isn’t a foul rim protector both, however they want any individual there subsequent to him or a major possibility at heart since Isaiah moved to the 4 spot extra. I’m not saying that Duren is gone. I simply surprise if they create him alongside slowly and produce any individual in who’s a definitively fairly good defender. In Claxton’s case, that phrase can be doing him a disservice. He’d be a lob risk for Cade Cunningham, too. -via HoopsHype / April 22, 2024
