Jalen Duren has carefully studied the replay of the Pistons’ Game 1 loss to No. 8 seed Orlando. Duren has taken heavy criticism for only contributing eight points on four shot attempts and seven rebounds in the 112-101 defeat.
“For me, just being more aggressive, finding my spots and attacking more; I think I could have done a better job of that,” Duren said after Tuesday’s practice, per Coty Davis of the Detroit News. “I just spent time watching the film over, and, over, and over again, seeing where I wasn’t most effective at and just trying to capitalize on that next game.”
The All-Star center acknowledged that the Magic had an effective strategy to neutralize him. The Pistons will have to develop some counters for Game 2 on Wednesday.
“They just had a good game plan, packing the paint. Anytime I had catches deep, they collapsed on me,” Duren said. “They were coming from everywhere. I did not get as many shot attempts (four) as I should have. There were times when I did catch myself one-on-one, and I’ve seen those moments before, and I want to get more of those opportunities. But for the most part, they were collapsing from anywhere.”
Here’s more from the Central Division:
- Doc Rivers’ stint with the Bucks is over and he insists it was “100%” his decision and not management’s edict. “It wasn’t a hard decision. It’s probably on your mind your last couple years,” Rivers said to Andscape’s Marc J. Spears. “It had nothing to do with the season or anything like that. There’s times where you feel like you’ve had your run. I still love it. I still love coaching. But I don’t ever want my job to become work. I guess that is the best way of saying that. It’s more of a labor of love. So, I just felt like it was time. It was not like some lightning strike or something like that. I told ownership that a while ago.” Rivers will still receive his full salary for 2026/27, Spears notes.
- The Bulls are also seeking a new coach after parting ways with Billy Donovan on Tuesday. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania (video link), Donovan was offered the opportunity to not only remain as Chicago’s coach but also a front office job as an alternative. He chose instead to walk away. “They offered him any amount of years that he wanted to stay as coach, any type of extension he wanted, even a high-ranking managerial role,” Charania said. “But Billy Donovan wanted to keep coaching and he actually had an option in his contract for next season and he decided to decline it and step down as head coach.”
- The Bulls currently hold the ninth and 15th overall picks in this year’s draft with hope of moving up from No. 9 during the draft lottery. The way it shakes out and the choices that they make will have a cascading effect on the roster, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times writes. Players such as Anfernee Simons, Leonard Miller, Zach Collins and Nick Richards could be impacted by which rookies the Bulls select this June.
Wow, Donovan was given a blank check to coach or be in the front office, and he said no thanks. Didn’t even pick up his option to “wait and see”. Chicago is definitely a mess – on and off the court.
You keep saying that before anyone even has a job. Are you daft or just enjoy typing random crap. Right now my biggest nightmare is the Bulls win the lottery and draft in the top 4 and don’t draft Wagler. Then I have to buy another TV. Why I buy Vizio’s now. They work and are inexpensive. And every year I get a new one.
Focus – you’re rambling again.
I’m rambling? You’re the guy who says the Bulls FO is a joke when it has exactly Zero employees. Are you from here? And by here I mean Earth BTW.
Uncle : if bulls have top 4, they would draft boozer or wilson. I like it. If bulls have top 6, i hope its not acuff. Very good offensive player,but played no defense.
Bulls only have top 4 or then probably 9. They can’t have 5-8. Lottery doesn’t work like that I found out. It’s top 4 or not.
Yeah,i forgot it. They didnt tank well.top 4,then 9th… Small chance to get wagler. For Blazer pick, i hope we draft big. I like yaxel or aday mara. 2nd round maybe veesaar (should be late 1st, but i hope no one pick him) and tarris reed
lol good statement Mike. Fans just need to wait and see how this all plays out. Donovan wasn’t a bad guy imo, and by turning down ownership’s offer..proves my point even more.
Boogie- We’ll at least get to see if Reinsdorf is still running things or the kid is and what the future holds if anything different at all. Bulls have a chance here to turn a page and move into this century for a change. Heck the Bears finally did it, So there’s always hope. The Bulls are set up here to make a huge leap forward but could have been set up even better. if the contracts of LaVine, Coby, Ayo, and Vujevic had been handled right and traded off sooner they could have had a windfall. Now they have 3 tradable contracts that probably won’t bring much more than the last ones did now in Okoro, Jones and Smith. Maybe just second rounders at the deadline or maybe they can score something like Miller and Dillingham again. I mean hey we’re Bulls fans the guy is kinda right. We may all be saying the same thing afterwards. But to say it before it happens is just stupid. I’m willing to wait and see who’s really running things. It either Junior or it’s not. If it it’s the old man we can expect more of the same wallowing in place.
IMO the Bulls drafting Wagler would be horrible. Bulls don’t need any more bony, narrow shouldered, unathletic players. Already have many.
Not that can drain 30 foot jumpers regularly, Run the point and play the 2 and maybe a little 3 they don’t. They have 65 million bucks to spend. Beef they can buy.
So who would you like to see them draft? And don’t say anyone who is dealing with a major injury right now, please
Well I’ve made no bones about the fact that I want Wagler. However if the Bulls lose the lottery then Ament at 9 and either Cenac or a Morez Johnson at 15. I don’t particularly care for Mara. I think he’s another Edey who could be a bust. I know Johnson can’t shoot but I also know he can guard the rim and won’t be pushed around by anybody. Things that are lacking here right now. As for the 2nd round best available at 38 and as far as the Denver pick maybe a Euro Stash IDK. I was kind of hoping one of the Ivisic’s would be there if they came out. Then I think they should take a run at Kessler. I’d call that hitting a home run.
Sorry Mike. I appreciate your response but I was asking @johnm
It’s a mess, sure. But at least the team finally has a chance to clean things up and move in the right direction. It’s actually a clean slate when you think about it. Only thing left is ownership, but at least now they have a clean slate. Potentially new front office and new head coach and 2frps. Not bad at all imo
Gonna post it one more time for better comment positioning here than in the Donovan article. Haven’t seen anyone suggest this yet.
What are the odds the Myers/Kerr tandem takes over GM/front office/head coaching (consider all 3 possibilities for Kerr) in Chicago? Provide a percentage if you like.
Also provide a percentage likelihood Draymond Green declines player option in SF and joins Myers and Kerr if they both are hired by the Bulls organization.
Greater chance of the first or second scenario happening?
I see zero chance Kerr comes here and coaches. He’ll either finish up with Steph or take a FO job or just quit all together. I know he’s had health issues and hates all the travel of being a HC. He might come here as a POBO.
Myers isn’t a horrible choice we’ll see. Why would the Bulls who are certainly rebuilding now want Green? That’s a non starter, Zero chance. Myers will want to build his own thing and acquire his own players as would anyone who gets the job. He wouldn’t hire a guy like Kerr to coach a rebuild nor would Kerr even think about that at this point in time. So basically I doubt any of that happens except maybe for Myers. Unless Kerr wants the POBO job and we know Jerry likes his pets but I still put that at less than 25%.
And myers hasn’t indicated that he’d be interested in another front office role. I think he’s comfortable as a tv guy, analyst.
He wasn’t even one of the 6 who were mentioned to be interviewed but I just answered his question. I doubt it will end up him. It should be a young guy with a lot of energy who is a good communicator with Players, Agents and Fans. At least that would be something new and different. The last ones acted as if it was a top secret mission they were trying to accomplish. It’s not Rocket Science. At least it shouldn’t be.
lol I completely agree.
The odds are highly unlikely. Kerr is a west coast guy, and more than that..he’s a Curry guy. I don’t think he wants to be anywhere else but golden state
Ownership is too cheap…
Doc said when making $9mil a year feels like WORK, it’s time to go!
The luxury of being a distraction…