The Pistons go from owning to getting owned in the paint

Detroit Bad Boys writer Sean Corp argues that the Detroit Pistons' primary issue early in the season is losing their interior dominance due to Jalen Duren's absence, rather than the lack of a second superstar scorer. Duren has missed six consecutive games because of a hamstring strain, leaving the 6-2 Pistons struggling to replace his rim gravity and inside presence.

Corp highlights that after leading the NBA with 57.9 points in the paint last season, Detroit has dropped to 22nd with 44.8 points per game. The writer notes that despite improvements in perimeter shooting, replacements like Paul Reed and John Collins do not replicate Duren's rim-running impact, causing significant declines in offensive rebounding and second-chance points.