The 2026-27 NBA regular season is in full swing, which is fantastic. Unfortunately, that also means that injuries, one of the few certianties in this sport, are also back in the fold. Jalen Williams, Paolo Banchero, Jalen Suggs, and Cason Wallace have all already suffered significant injuries that are sure to set their teams back.
The Detroit Pistons are not immune to this fact of basketball. During their Friday victory over the Miami Heat, Jalen Duren, who spent the whole offseason in a contract stalemate with the Pistons, suffered a hamstring injury that kept him out of their Sunday win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
Now, his status for the team's Tuesday night clash with the defending champion New York Knicks is also in question. Here is the latest injury update around Duren, the rest of the Pistons, and the Knicks heading into this Tuesday night heavyweight fight.
Jalen Duren is out for Pistons vs. Knicks
According to the NBA's latest injury report (which is updated every 15 minutes), Duren's status is not in question. He will definetly be out for the game against the Knicks with the hamstring injury he suffered on Friday. Reports indicate that Duren will be out for at least two weeks, so don't expect to see him for the rest of the month.
There is more unknown when it comes to Ausar Thompson (ankle) and Isaiah Joe (hip). Both of them are currently listed as questionable. As a general rule, when a player recieves the "questionable" designation, that usually means that they have a 50/50 chance of playing in the game.
For the Knicks, they only have one name on their injury report. Jose Alvarado, who is dealing with a left ankle sprain, will not play tonight, as he is listed as out.
Pistons projected starting lineup without Jalen Duren
For the sake of simplicity, let's assume that the Pistons are going to have Thompson and Joe available to them. With that in mind, here is their projected ten man rotation, based on the choices head coach J.B. Bickerstaff made against the 76ers without Duren.
STARTER | POSITION | BENCH |
|---|---|---|
Cade Cunningham | PG | Daniss Jenkins |
Duncan Robinson | SG | Isaiah Joe |
Ausar Thompson | SF | Kevin Huerter |
John Collins | PF | Ron Holland |
Paul Reed | C | Javonte Green |
With no Duren, the Pistons are very light at center. Paul Reed is a capable spot starter, but they don't really have much behind him. Look for John Collins to act as the team's backup center, along with his responsibilites as the starting power forward.
If Thompson does not play again (like against the 76ers), then look for Daniss Jenkins to be elevated to the starting lineup. If both him and Joe are missing, JaVonte Green, Ron Holland, and Kevin Huerter are going to be counted on for big minutes off the bench. If Bickerstaff gets desperate, he may even turn to Tolu Smith or rookie Ebuka Okorie.
The Pistons have their work cut out for them. The Knicks are going to have their entire championship starting five available to them. Plus, they are desperately trying to avoid an 0-4 start, which would cause an uproar in New York and put them in a serious hole to start the season.
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