With the latest game in the NBA 2K franchise releasing this week, Detroit Pistons Fans can get a first virtual look at the revamped roster under new head coach JB Bickerstaff.
As exciting as the new veteran additions may be, the Pistons still have two homegrown rising stars who will give the team a boost in the game.
Unsurprisingly, Cade Cunningham is the Pistons’ highest-rated player in 2K25 this season, holding an overall rating of 86 as he enters his fourth year.
Young veteran Jalen Duren has the second-best mark on the team.
Official @NBA2K The rankings are in…how do we feel? pic.twitter.com/VJM4MP4Epy
— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) September 4, 2024
Rated 81 overall, Duren isn’t exactly considered a top-ten center in the NBA by NBA 2K standards at the moment. However, he’s slowly climbing the rankings.
This year, Duren gained some points and finished 15th in the game, tied with six other players. He joins the same group as Brooklyn’s Nic Claxton, Dallas’ Dereck Lively, Chicago’s Nikola Vucevic, OKC’s Isaiah Hartenstein, Minnesota’s Naz Reid and Dallas’ Daniel Gafford.
In 2022, the Pistons selected Duren 13th overall out of Memphis. At the time, Duren was a college freshman who averaged 12 points, eight rebounds and two blocks per game in 29 NCAA games.
During his first two seasons in Detroit, Duren became a full-time starting center. In his first season, Duren averaged nine points and nine rebounds while shooting 65 percent from the field.
Last year, Duren raised the bar as a sophomore, averaging 14 points and 12 rebounds per game. He maintained an efficient shooting style from the field, hitting 62 percent of his attempts.
Next season is going to be a big one for the 20-year-old. While he’s already convinced the Pistons he’s a starter in this league, Duren and partner Cade Cunningham need to prove they can take another step forward and benefit from a stronger veteran roster around them.
