Ankle and back injuries, limiting Duren to 61 games, dampened a great season from the second-year center. He became a full-time starter and set career highs in points (13.8), rebounds (11.6), assists (2.4) and free-throw percentage (79.0%). At 20 years old, Duren was already one of the best rebounders in the league, finishing third in total rebound percentage (22.2), grabbing 14.4 boards per 36 minutes. His strong finishing ability (61.9 FG%) combined with his above-average free-throw percentage for a center makes him one of the most efficient bigs. What's holding Duren back at the moment is his below-par defense. Despite being a physical force, he averaged just 0.8 blocks and 0.5 steals last season. Considering he averaged about two blocks per game as a one-and-done college player at Memphis, Duren's defensive performance as a pro has been disappointing, but it leaves some hope for improvement. Ultimately, he's already established himself as a nightly 15-and-15 threat, and if he can work his way into playing minutes in the mid-30s with added skill, there's plenty of upside to be unlocked. Fantasy managers should feel pretty comfortable if he's their squad's best center, though the blocks category might need to be shored up.
