Charles Barkley criticizes Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren on ‘Inside the NBA’
Charles Barkley, a Hall of Fame NBA player and longtime analyst on TNT’s “Inside the NBA,” offered pointed criticism of Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren ahead of Game 5 in the team’s Eastern Conference semifinal playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The “Inside the NBA” panel discussed key players who needed to step up for the matchup. Barkley placed emphasis on Duren, noting his reliance on offensive rebounds and lob passes from Pistons guard Cade Cunningham.[1][2]
“His whole game is offensive rebounds and lob dunks from Cade. He’s not getting those,” Barkley said. “So, that’s really hurting him. Listen, he should never have two rebounds, ever. That’s two more than a dead person. You can’t ever have two rebounds. But he’s a young kid. He’s gonna get in the gym, work on the 12-15-foot jumpers or something like that. But he’s too good a player. He’s an All-Star.”
Jalen Duren, 22, plays center for the Detroit Pistons after being selected 13th overall in the 2022 NBA draft by the Charlotte Hornets and traded to Detroit on draft night. He averaged 13.0 points and 11.5 rebounds per game during the 2023-24 regular season.[1][3]
Charles Barkley, 61, won an NBA MVP award in 1993 and was a member of the U.S. Olympic “Dream Team” in 1992. He has served as an analyst on “Inside the NBA” since 2000.[2][4]
The Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers compete in the NBA’s Eastern Conference. The winner of the series would advance toward a potential Eastern Conference finals matchup.[5][6]
Sources
- NBA.com
Article/page title: Jalen Duren Player Profile
Accessed: 2024-10-04
https://www.nba.com/player/1631196/jalen-duren - Wikipedia
Article/page title: Charles Barkley
Accessed: 2024-10-04
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Barkley - Basketball-Reference.com
Article/page title: Jalen Duren Stats
Accessed: 2024-10-04
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/d/durenja01.html - Wikipedia
Article/page title: Inside the NBA
Accessed: 2024-10-04
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inside_the_NBA - NBA.com
Article/page title: Detroit Pistons Team Page
Accessed: 2024-10-04
https://www.nba.com/team/1610612765/detroit-pistons - NBA.com
Article/page title: Cleveland Cavaliers Team Page
Accessed: 2024-10-04
https://www.nba.com/team/1610612739/cleveland-cavaliers
