After a breakout season, Jalen Duren was acknowledged by awards voters on Friday, April 24.
The Detroit Pistons' star center missed out in the Most Improved Player race, the league announced. He fell short of becoming the first player in Pistons history to win the award, despite averaging 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds in 28.2 minutes a game this season. Those averages were up from last season's marks of 11.8, 10.3 and 26.1, respectively.
Atlanta Hawks wing Nickeil Alexander-Walker, won the award, announced by 2011 winner Kevin Love on Friday night, and Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija was also a finalist.
GAME 2: How 8 minutes gave Detroit Pistons their edge back vs Magic
Duren was the second-leading scorer for a 60-22 Pistons team that clinched the top seed in the Eastern Conference for the first time in nearly two decades. Duren earned All-Star honors for the first time, alongside Cade Cunningham, marking the first time since 2007-08 the Pistons had multiple players in the league's marquee game.
Duren's MIP finalist nod isn't the only recognition for the surging franchise's players.
Ausar Thompson finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting on Monday, behind winner Victor Wembanyama and Oklahoma City Thunder big man Chet Holmgren. Cunningham is likely to join his teammates in earning end-of-season honors and is a favorite to make an All-NBA team after leading the Pistons with 23.9 points, 9.9 assists and 5.5 rebounds.
The Pistons are 1-1 in the first round of the 2026 NBA playoffs following Wednesday's 98-83 win over the Orlando Magic. The series opened Sunday with an upset by the eighth-seeded Magic.
Make "The Pistons Pulse" your go-to Detroit Pistons podcast, listen available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify).
Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him on X and/or Bluesky.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Jalen Duren, Detroit Pistons center, doesn't win Most Improved Player