The Detroit Pistons are facing serious trouble in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs, and Jalen Duren is partly to blame for it. Still, Pistons star guard Cade Cunningham believes that his teammate will get it together sooner rather than later.
Following the Pistons’ 113-105 loss in Game 3 against the Orlando Magic at the Kia Center in Orlando, Fla., on Saturday, Cunningham addressed the underwhelming series Duren is having so far.
“He’s confident. These last three games haven’t went the way he wants, or we might want for him. But I, and the whole team, have no doubt that he’s gonna figure it out. He knows he’s gonna figure it out,” Cunningham told reporters after the game, via Hunter Patterson of The Athletic.
Duren was among those heavily relied upon by Detroit to deliver solid numbers every night in the playoffs, but he’s not just delivering on that. When the Magic stunned Detroit in Game 1, he only had 8 points and 7 rebounds. In Game 2, the Pistons tied the series at 1-1, despite Duren scoring just 11 points and grabbing 9 boards. On Saturday, he put up 8 points on 3/10 shooting with 9 rebounds.
At the same time, Cunningham is not without fault for Detroit’s Game 3 debacles. He scored 27 points, but the former No. 1 overall pick shot 8/23 from the field and had 9 turnovers.
If the Pistons are to avoid an embarrassing first-round exit, they are going to need both Duren and Cunningham to live up to their All-Star expectations.
