The Detroit Pistons are off to a fast start to the season, winning their first two games, but they will have to move forward without one of their best players.
Center Jalen Duren is set to miss the next few weeks after he suffered a right hamstring strain against the Miami Heat on Friday night. Duren had a strange offseason, as he waited to sign a big contract extension with the team, even missing the first few practices in training camp while he waited to agree on the big deal.
Last year, Duren had a career-best season in which he played 70 games, and it helped him earn his big extension in the offseason. Duren was Detroit's leading rebounder and second-leading scorer last year, proving to be an important complement next to Cade Cunningham.
Now, Detroit will have to find a way to win games without Duren. Here's the latest on Duren's injury status.
How long is Jalen Duren out?
The Pistons announced that Duren will be sidelined for at least two weeks with a right hamstring injury, but Duren will likely be out for longer than that. The Pistons medical staff will re-evaluate the center's hamstring in two weeks, at which point they will decide on next steps.
The @DetroitPistons today announced the following medical update on center Jalen Duren: https://t.co/fZjGu5eLgc
— Pistons PR (@Pistons_PR) October 25, 2026Duren suffered the injury in the Pistons' win on Friday night, and he was already ruled out for Sunday's game before the team announced the full diagnosis. As the season just began, the Pistons will not rush Duren back and instead make sure he is fully healthy the next time he returns to action.
Typically, this kind of injury in the NBA costs the player between 2-3 weeks of action, which is around eight regular season games.
Return estimate on Jalen Duren from past NBA data https://t.co/seiJM7FFFH
— Brian Sutterer MD (@BrianSuttererMD) October 25, 2026With Duren out, the Pistons will rely on new forward John Collins and backup center Paul Reed to help replace the center's production. The Pistons' schedule does not get any easier, as they travel to play the Philadelphia 76ers and New York Knicks in their next two games.
