Jalen Duren, Pistons
Getty
Jalen Duren can become first Pistons center to make the All-Star team since Andre Drummond.
This week has been a tough one for the Detroit Pistons.
As the month of March winds down, the Detroit Pistons are seeing multiple players hit the injury report, and the setbacks haven’t exactly been minor.
Just as the Pistons landed bad news on Isaiah Stewart and Cade Cunningham, they watched their All-Star big man leave the Thursday, March 19, matchup without returning for the remainder of the game.
Following the game, Pistons head coach JB Bickerstaff addressed the state of Jalen Duren after a victory over the Washington Wizards.
Jalen Duren’s Injury Scare Addressed Before Pistons-Warriors
Jalen Duren, Pistons
GettyJalen Duran is averaging a double-double this season.
via Omari Sankofa, Detroit Free Press: On Duren leaving in the 3rd and not playing in the 4th after returning to the bench, JB said Paul Reed was rolling. Doesn’t sound like anything serious for Duren. “We’ll take a look at JD and see if he’s alright, but I haven’t seen any problems yet.”
Duren checked into the Pistons’ March 19 matchup against the Wizards for 25 minutes.
The veteran center was productive, going 9-15 from the field and hitting 6-8 shots from the free-throw line. He accounted for 24 points while coming down with 11 rebounds.
The Pistons swept this week’s slate of games against the Wizards with a 117-95 victory on Thursday.
The Pistons Have Health Concerns
GettyPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – NOVEMBER 09: Cade Cunningham #2 of the Detroit Pistons looks on during a game against the Philadelphia 76ers at Xfinity Mobile Arena on November 09, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
Duren’s availability moving forward doesn’t seem to be in any serious danger. Either way, the Pistons have health concerns.
Isaiah Stewart was ruled out for at least one week with a Grade 1 calf strain. He suffered the injury on March 13. With his initial timeline, Stewart is expected to miss at least three games. Beyond that, the timeline will depend on how the re-evaluation goes.
Cade Cunningham’s setback is by far the biggest hit for Detroit this season.
When the star guard left the first Pistons-Wizards matchup this week, Cunningham was ruled out due to a left back contusion. Further testing provided a more concerning diagnosis. The two-time All-Star is dealing with a collapsed lung.
An official statement from the team made it known that Cunningham will get re-evaluated in two weeks. Cunningham is in danger of missing the remainder of the 2025-2026 regular season.
As far as playoffs go, the Pistons can’t put a target date for his return that far out.
“It’s tough for Cade to go through what he’s going through now. You know how important he is to the team, and how important being with his team is to him, it doesn’t make it easy,” Bickerstaff told reporters on Thursday.
“He’s a huge part of what we do from a leadership standpoint. Obviously, the talent’s there, but just being around him every single day makes people’s day better, and we’ll miss that.”
The Pistons remain in the Eastern Conference’s top seed after winning two games in a row. They have a 4.0-game lead over the Boston Celtics, holding a 50-19.
The Golden State Warriors are in town to face the Pistons for a 7:30 PM ET tip on Friday night. Duren’s status for the matchup is unknown as of Friday morning.