What happened: Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren remains sidelined as he continues to recover from a right hamstring strain. Duren was originally projected to miss at least two weeks after he strained the hamstring in late October. His continued absence leaves Detroit without its starting center for Sunday's matchup.

Why it matters: Detroit enters Sunday holding a 6-2 record and the third seed in the Eastern Conference despite missing key frontcourt depth early in the 2026-27 season. Duren signed an extension on Oct. 2 to anchor the interior, but the injury has limited him to just two games. Sustaining their strong start will require the frontcourt rotation to shoulder rim-protection and rebounding duties against opposing interior scoring.

What to watch: Detroit hosts the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday as Duren approaches the end of his initial two-week re-evaluation window.