Detroit Pistons

Jalen Duren isn't all the way back yet. "We're still rounding him into game shape," Jarrett Jack said after the Pistons' game, calling it "the biggest marker probably for us in this whole thing" heading toward Oct. 20. He's also learning a few offensive tweaks.

At practice, Cade Cunningham said Ausar Thompson hasn't had enough time as a ball-handler and playmaker for the Pistons: "AT is somebody that passes the ball at a super high level, can handle the ball. So I think it's just natural for us to use him more in that light."

Jalen Duren played his first game back for the Pistons on Oct. 14. J.B. Bickerstaff said he was aggressive, set the tone and kept his focus on helping the team. "It's, you know, his first go at it. So I just expect him to continue to get better."

Isaiah Joe and Kevin Huerter are a bench pairing J.B. Bickerstaff likes for Detroit: "I think they work well together. High IQ guys that can help that second unit." Both move off the ball and make plays, fitting his push for quicker decisions and a less stagnant offense.

Tolu Smith "dominates the paint on both ends of the floor," Detroit coach J.B. Bickerstaff said, asked how Smith differs from Paul Reed. He pointed to Smith's "NBA skill set," his rebounding and how much he has improved. Smith had 13 rebounds.

"The plan is definitely for him to play in the preseason," J.B. Bickerstaff said of Jalen Duren at Pistons practice, adding Detroit will watch how he feels going from summer workouts to games. Duren "appears to be faster, more explosive. His face-up game has improved."

Chaz Lanier has "an opportunity to earn minutes through preseason," Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said, though he called that difficult with so many players. Lanier's first week of camp showed good cutting, off-ball movement and shot making, and better defense than last year.

Rookie Ebuka Okorie playing alongside Daniss Jenkins gives the Pistons two ball handlers, and coach J.B. Bickerstaff said that pairing "just makes everybody else on the floor better," depending on how teams guard them.

Rookie Ebuka Okorie's ball-handling drew a Kyrie Irving comparison from Ausar Thompson, and Ronald Holland II signed on after Okorie's big moment in the Pistons' Oct. 5 game: "I just seen AT compare him to Kyrie Irving, his handles. And I can agree with that."

John Collins is playing both power forward and center for Detroit, and Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said the staff is still sorting out lineups by position, citing his "ability to stretch the floor." He also praised Collins' toughness in a first-quarter dust-up.

Ausar Thompson should have the ball more as Detroit's "lead dog," J.B. Bickerstaff said Oct. 5. He opened the second half with a Thompson-led unit he said had space, shooting and size. "We believe like if he takes a jump, our team is going to take a jump."

"I want to be a Detroit Piston for life," Jalen Duren said, calling the summer's talk about him rumors and false narratives: "I've never spoken to anyone in the media." His contract process "took way longer than any of us really wanted," he said, and he is relieved it's over.

Pistons 1/2 Jalen Duren did his physical and league testing Oct. 2 after re-signing with Detroit. J.B. Bickerstaff said Duren worked out on his own during talks and is "in great shape, he's fit." No timeline for his return: "We'll make sure we take our time."

Pistons 2/2 Bickerstaff on Jalen Duren's return becoming official: "That's our guy. He's been our guy." He denied any bitterness from the negotiation, saying "it's negotiation, it's business," and that the 22-year-old Pistons center "hasn't reached his ceiling."

Pistons' Taurean Prince played Toronto the day after last season's neck injury, which cost him feeling in his left side until surgery. "My doctor told me if I would have took the wrong hit, I could have been a vegetable." His role is changing too, on offense and defense.

Pistons practice: J.B. Bickerstaff said Taurean Prince looks healthy after his neck injury — "he's moving well, he's shooting it well." John Collins won't be asked to force step-back 3s, but "if he's open, he should shoot it 100 times in a row".

Bickerstaff on Isaiah Joe: he has freedom to expand beyond the role he had on previous teams. "We don't put anybody in a box." On Kevin Huerter, no rebuild of his shot: "you don't have to overhaul what he's doing." He also called Huerter a playmaker, not just a shooter.

Pistons' Tolu Smith has switched to shooting free throws left-handed and plans to stick with it. A natural lefty, he shot right-handed because his dad wanted him to shoot like the rest of the family. "I throw football with my left, so it was just a matter of time."