James Edwards: I think one of the biggest problems for the Pistons this year was the lack of rim protection. Of all the upside Duren has a guy who is already an elite rebounder at 20 years old and who touches the rim well with plays here and there, he should really improve defensively. I think it goes back to what I said at the top of the podcast where I think the situation Detroit finds itself in — and where we've gotten worse every year in this rebuild — is there's pressure to get better sooner rather than later. I don't think they have the luxury of what most rebuilding teams do, which is to let their guys develop. I think Nicolas Claxton will check the box, the one Detroit needs checked the most, which is interior defense. Isaiah Stewart is a really good defender in space and on the perimeter. He's also not a bad rim protector, but they need someone around him or a primary option in the middle as Isaiah has moved on to the other four spots. I'm not saying that Duren is gone. I just wonder if they bring him in a little bit and bring in someone who is a really good defender. In Claxton's case, that name would be doing him a disservice. He'll be a lob threat to Cade Cunningham, too. -via HoopsHype / April 22, 2024
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