James Edwards: I feel one of many greatest 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 For the entire upside Duren has as a man who’s already an elite rebounder at 20 years outdated and has good contact across the rim with some playmaking stuff right here and there, he’s actually received to enhance defensively. I feel it goes again to what I stated on the prime of the podcast the place I feel the scenario Detroit finds itself – and the place it’s gotten worse yearly of this rebuild – is there’s stress to be higher ahead of later. I don’t assume they’ve the posh of what most rebuilding groups do, which is to let their guys develop. I think Nicolas Claxton would definitely check a box, which Detroit desperately needs checked, which is interior defense. Isaiah Stewart is a extremely good defender in area and on the perimeter. He isn’t a nasty rim protector both, however they want any individual there subsequent to him or a main choice at middle since Isaiah moved to the 4 spot extra. I’m not saying that Duren is gone. I simply marvel if they bring about him alongside slowly and convey 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 menace for Cade Cunningham, too. -via HoopsHype / April 22, 2024
