Jalen Duren, the youngest player in the NBA and promising center for the Detroit Pistons, will miss this weekend’s Jordan Rising Stars game because of injury. It was clear throughout the Pistons’ 127-109 loss to the Boston Celtics on Wednesday that Duren was much less than 100%.
He’d already battled ankle injuries in the past couple weeks, and at one point he seemed to injure his other ankle as well and sat out for extended period before returning. Duren is averaging 8.6 points, 8.7 rebounds and shooting 65% from the field so far during his rookie season.
The NBA announced that Jalen Green of the Houston Rockets will also miss the Rising Stars game, and that Ayo Dosunmu of the Chicago Bulls and Tari Eason of the Rockets will replace Duren and Green, respectively.
The Pistons would likely be featuring three players in the exhibition of young talent if not for injury. Duren is a late scratch, but Cade Cunningham has missed nearly the entire season after getting surgery on his shin. The Pistons do have one representative, however, with rookie Jaden Ivey still scheduled to suit up.
Ivey is averaging 15.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 4.6 assists so far this season, and his looked increasingly comfortable in an outsized offensive role for Detroit. He’s taken on more playmaking and ball-handling responsibilities within the offense, and he’s found a groove as a scorer and distributor.
Not for nothing, but Ivey’s explosive game is also tailor-made for the Rising Stars game where defense is often, umm, optional. Ivey will compete in one of four teams in a mini-bracket challenge. He will play with Jose Alverado (Pelicans), Paolo Banchero (Magic), Scottie Barnes (Raptors), Bennedict Mathurin (Pacers), Keegan Murray (Kings) and Andrew Nembhard (Pacers).
The game will take place at 9 p.m. ET on Friday on TNT.