NBA legend Carmelo Anthony is challenging Jalen Duren to elevate his game. The Pistons center is struggling as Detroit faces a 3-1 playoff deficit against the Magic. Rising big man Jalen Duren has been central to Detroit's struggles.

Ahead of Game 4, NBA legend Carmelo Anthony called out the Pistons’ big man and challenged him to perform better in a game that would send the Pistons a step closer to the brink of elimination.  

"You're supposed to be the next great big man. American big man,” Melo said on NBA Showtime. “You are putting on a show not just for Detroit, but for Team USA.... You have an opportunity to stamp that. Why not go out there and do it?"

The Pistons center’s struggles have been glaring throughout the first three games of the series. His struggles have clearly impacted Detroit's overall performance.

Before the Monday matchup, Duren was putting far worse numbers on the board compared to his first playoff appearance last season.

Last season, Duren averaged 11.8 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in six games while shooting 65.0% from the field. 

In the first three games of the playoffs this season, he is averaging 9.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 2.0 blocks per game.

The Pistons' big man is also making just 41.7% of his field goal attempts, the lowest in both the playoffs and regular seasons.

Duren’s struggles come in the same season he made his first All-Star selection.

Jalen Duren falls short again as the Pistons move closer to elimination

Duren’s nightmare on offense continued in Game 4 as the Pistons faced another defeat to trail the series by 3-1.

In a must-win game for the top seed against the 8th seed, the Pistons’ big man had 12 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, a steal, and a block.

Compared to his three previous games, Duren was efficient from the field. He attempted only 8 shots in 31 minutes, making five of them.

For a player who averaged 19.5 points per game on 65 percent shooting, Duren’s numbers are alarming, and this is not even his first playoff experience. 

The Pistons' big man is up for an extension this summer. Although he was eligible to sign an extension before the season started, the Pistons’ front office and the center couldn’t come to any agreement.

Given how he has performed in this playoff, there are questions about whether the Pistons would be willing to give over $200 million to Duren. 

After a 94-88 defeat in Game 4, the Pistons will host the Magic on Wednesday for Game 5.

Do you think the Pistons will go home or extend the series to Game 6? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Nandjee Ranjan

Edited by

Utsav Gupta