With the NBA Dunk Contest typically lacking All-Star power, fans were looking forward to seeing the Detroit Pistons center have involvement in the competition this year.
According to a report from ESPN, Duren committed to the event just as he was getting named an All-Star for the first time in his career. It turns out, that will not be the case after all.
The NBA announced the Dunk Contest participants on Saturday afternoon. Duren’s name was not included.
San Antonio’s Carter Bryant, LA’s Jaxson Hayes, Miami’s Keshad Johnson, and Orlando’s Jase Richardson will compete, according to an announcement. The event is set to take place on Saturday, February 14.
Concerns for Duren?
The Pistons played the New York Knicks at home on Friday night. Duren was ruled out with knee soreness ahead of the action. Without the star center, the Pistons still dominated the Knicks 118-80.
In the previous game, Duren checked out after just barely two quarters of action. He had collected 12 minutes, making two of his six shots from the field, scoring four points. He came down with three rebounds.
The Pistons didn’t release any definitive updates for Duren, but his sudden absence from the All-Star event is a bit of a red flag.
Suddenly, his status for future Pistons games and even the All-Star game will come into question. If Duren doesn’t get a chance to suit up in the All-Star game this year, the NBA will have to work on finding an injury replacement. So far, that decision hasn’t been made.
The Pistons have two games left before the break. On Monday, they’ll pay a visit to the Charlotte Hornets before traveling to Canada to face the Toronto Raptors next Wednesday. With a couple of days off in between Friday’s win over the Knicks and Monday’s action, that could be enough time for Duren to improve and get back out on the floor.
This season, Duren has appeared in 43 games for the Pistons. He is posting averages of 17.7 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 1.7 assists. The veteran is making 63 percent of his field goals in 27.9 minutes of action.
For all the latest NBA news and rumors, head over to Newsweek Sports.
