Jalen Duren hits an important rookie benchmark in facing Joel Embiid and the Sixers: ‘I feel like this is only the beginning’

Jalen Duren used to sit in the nosebleed seats inside the Wells Fargo Center, eager to experience the intensity of NBA basketball that would travel to the upper deck.

On Wednesday night, Duren took the bulk of the Detroit Pistons’ ticket allotment and welcomed between 40 and 50 family members and friends to watch his first game in Philly as a professional.

The Pistons’ rookie starting center, who played his first two high school seasons at Roman Catholic, was one of the bright spots of another tough outing for his 8-26 team. The 19-year-old Duren totaled seven points on 3-of-4 shooting, eight rebounds, and four assists while often matching up against MVP runner-up Joel Embiid in the Pistons’ 113-93 loss to the Sixers, flashing the potential that made him a lottery draft pick last summer.

“It was amazing for me, honestly,” Duren said after the game, “just to have the opportunity to play in front of my family on this stage.”

In a balanced performance, Duren collected two early assists in the first quarter. He scored his first bucket just before halftime, a little jumper that bounced into the net. In the second half, he converted a putback layup, then grabbed an offensive rebound that led to a Saddiq Bey corner three-pointer.

» READ MORE: Sixers win sixth straight as Joel Embiid has 22 points and 10 rebounds

It was the latest benchmark in an impressive rookie season for Duren, who transferred from Roman to Montverde Academy in Florida and then played one college season at Memphis.

Duren leads all rookies in rebounding (8.2 per game entering Wednesday), thanks to a “natural knack” that coach Dwane Casey trusted would immediately translate at the NBA level. When Marvin Bagley and Nerlens Noel were injured early in the season, Duren got an early opportunity to ascend up the depth chart.

“The young kid just kept growing and growing and growing,” Casey said before Wednesday’s game.

When asked about his biggest NBA challenges, Duren exhaled while noting that the Pistons had played the night before at home against Utah — and that he has learned the benefits of a cold tub. Casey added that Duren’s shooting (he entered Wednesday making just 55% of his free throws) still is a work in progress. He also still is picking up defensive nuances, including terminology and how coverages can change from game to game.

But the coach lauded Duren’s willingness to take blunt coaching and mentioned that he is a quick study.

“There’s no magic wand to say where he gets it in real time, just like all rookies,” Casey said. “There’s a learning curve, but he’s right on track where he should be.”

Added Duren: “Right now, people are saying I’m pretty raw. I look at that as a good thing, because I have room to grow in all aspects. For where I’m at now, I’ve accomplished a lot more than people would even expect. I feel like all aspects of my game can grow. I feel like we’re locked in on just me becoming the best player that I can become.”

» READ MORE: ‘This kid is special’: Jalen Duren’s NBA potential was on display in Philly long before draft night

That’s why he “couldn’t wait” to go against Embiid. When asked what he learned from the experience, Duren half-joked, “How to draw fouls.” Though Embiid scored over Duren several times, the rookie got Embiid in the air for a whistle late in the outing.

“I look forward to these types of matchups, playing against guys like [Nikola] Jokic, [Anthony Davis], all of the proven bigs in this league,” Duren said. “Because they’re at where I want to be.”

Added Embiid: “It’s good to kind of inspire … the up-and-coming guys. Whatever guys can take from what I have and use that to their advantage, it’s always great.”

Duren’s postgame attire paid homage to another Philly basketball legend. He slipped on a T-shirt featuring Allen Iverson, whom Duren called his “favorite player of all time” despite not being born during Iverson’s MVP and NBA Finals season in 2000-01.

By the time Duren was old enough to sit in the Wells Fargo Center’s upper deck, the Sixers were deep in The Process. But he uses their rise to playoff regulars as hope that the young Pistons can do the same, that “we’re going to be a force to reckon with in a couple years. We’re on our way.”

“I feel like this is only the beginning,” Duren said. “This is nothing that’s surprised me. I’ve always felt like, ‘I’m good. I can play on this level,’ even at a young age. Where I’m at now doesn’t really surprise me. I just want to keep getting better.”