The Pistons have a potential solution for Jalen Duren’s struggles: Paul Reed. Reed has been a positive influence for the Pistons whenever he has played in the playoffs. He has performed well on both offence and defence, showcasing good timing and toughness.
Reed’s Positive Impact Despite Limited Minutes
Detroit’s depth has been an advantage this season, with Reed ensuring that this continues into the playoffs when Duren struggles. In Game 3, the Pistons were outscored by 14 points during Duren’s 29 minutes. However, they won Reed’s 10 minutes by 11 points.
Minutes have been difficult for Reed to find regularly in the playoffs.
Duren’s Struggles and Reed as a Security Blanket
Duren has appeared fazed at times in the playoffs by opposing defences. Reed provides a security blanket with his veteran poise and relatively unscouted game. His unique skillset has often given the Pistons an unexpected boost, whether it’s his ball handling and shooting on offence or excellent rim protection on defence.
Reed can be a nice change of pace from Duren who other teams aren’t prepared to face.
The Importance of Effort and Team Play
An important element of Reed’s success is his unrelenting effort on both ends. Reed always fights hard and plays well within the flow of the team, regardless of the game’s outcome. His unselfish nature helps unlock easier looks for shooters and efficient team offence.
When Duren has played with the same mentality, he has still made a winning impact for the Pistons in the playoffs even if he isn’t putting up his All-Star numbers from the regular season. But when Duren isn’t bringing enough physicality or tries to do too much offensively, he’s made costly mistakes. In Game 3, Duren had 3 big turnovers and only managed 4 minutes in his extended minutes.
Momentum and Closing Games
Even when Reed clearly outperforms Duren, he’s usually on the bench to close out games in their most crucial moments. This was the case in Game 3, when Reed helped the Pistons claw back from a 17-point hole only to see Duren take his spot in the final 4 minutes of the game. If Detroit wants to advance to the conference finals, they may need to be smarter in gauging momentum when it comes to their center rotation.
If Duren has another game with the same level of effort and production, the Pistons must use their secret weapon to solve their center issue. By giving Paul Reed more minutes, they can get solid production no matter how others are playing.