Tracking the development of Alex Len

[JCSunsfan]

Saw this on RealGM tonight, down right amazing

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Granted he hasn't played against many good offensive centers but still.

He will be considered one of the top defensive centers in the league by April. He is already getting that rep.

BTW, just what you need with a 3 pg offense. Now we just need better rebounding from the pf position. You hear that Keef!

 

[iRobot]

He will be considered one of the top defensive centers in the league by April. He is already getting that rep.

BTW, just what you need with a 3 pg offense. Now we just need better rebounding from the pf position. You hear that Keef!

He'll have his chance with games vs Spurs, Grizz, Rockets, and Clippers on the horizon!

 

[JS22]

Len is a huge (see what I did there) surprise. Always thought he had a chance to be pretty good because of his size & agility. I just figured it would take 3-4 years. He is essentially a rookie and already becoming a legitimate post defender, shot blocker, and rebounder. His offensive game is even halfway decent.

Looking forward to seeing how much he progresses over the next few years.

Edit: And Len possesses the one thing that you just can't teach. Attitude. This is all you need to see:

 

[JCSunsfan]

True. The guy is fearless and seldom seems to be disengaged. He might not always be included in the game plan, but he is always competing. He is also just so long. All he has to do is stand flatfooted and extend his arms and he changes things.

 

[BC867]

True. The guy is fearless and seldom seems to be disengaged. He might not always be included in the game plan, but he is always competing. He is also just so long. All he has to do is stand flatfooted and extend his arms and he changes things.

I just hope the Suns obsession with small players at each position with the game on the line doesn't discourage Alex.

Favoritism eats away at someone who cares.

 

[JCSunsfan]

I just hope the Suns obsession with small players at each position with the game on the line doesn't discourage Alex.

Favoritism eats away at someone who cares.

Only BC can find a way to turn a discussion about a 7-2 shot blocking rim protector into being discouraged about small ball.

 

[SirStefan32]

Only BC can find a way to turn a discussion about a 7-2 shot blocking rim protector into being discouraged about small ball.

Well, in all fairness, that 7'2 shot-blocking rim protector doesn't play much in the fourth quarter, so it's a valid point.

 

[FutureSuperstar]

I've been pleasantly surprised by Len's shot blocking lately - He really has great timing/instincts on defense. He also plays even longer than he already is because his arms are STRAIGHT up when they need to be ...

His blocking #'s have been really interesting this year - He actually went through a stretch from game #'s 5-17 (13 games) where he only had 2 TOTAL blocks ... At that time, I noticed he was going "straight up" too much and playing "too safe" on defense.

He's obviously learned and made adjustments - in his last 11 games, he's averaging 2.9 bpg in 22 mpg ... An insane blocks / minute ratio !!! ...

He's doing a better job of leaving his man to help under the basket (and get blocks that way). He's showing his IQ / feel for the game (for a 21 year old) that he can do that w/o his man taking advantage.

I've always felt his feel for the game / IQ is really good. He plays smart and for the team (not selfish) and you can see that on the court (Him passing the ball on his few post-up opportunities instead of forcing a shot up, tipping balls to teammates, boxing out for teammates) ... His improvement every year (in college and now) shows that. That's why I was high on him last year and why it's exciting to see how much he'll improve in the future!

 

[AzStevenCal]

I've been pleasantly surprised by Len's shot blocking lately - He really has great timing/instincts on defense. He also plays even longer than he already is because his arms are STRAIGHT up when they need to be ...

His blocking #'s have been really interesting this year - He actually went through a stretch from game #'s 5-17 (13 games) where he only had 2 TOTAL blocks ... At that time, I noticed he was going "straight up" too much and playing "too safe" on defense.

He's obviously learned and made adjustments - in his last 11 games, he's averaging 2.9 bpg in 22 mpg ... An insane blocks / minute ratio !!! ...

He's doing a better job of leaving his man to help under the basket (and get blocks that way). He's showing his IQ / feel for the game (for a 21 year old) that he can do that w/o his man taking advantage.

I've always felt his feel for the game / IQ is really good. He plays smart and for the team (not selfish) and you can see that on the court (Him passing the ball on his few post-up opportunities instead of forcing a shot up, tipping balls to teammates, boxing out for teammates) ... His improvement every year (in college and now) shows that. That's why I was high on him last year and why it's exciting to see how much he'll improve in the future!

Yeah, you were the only one here that was consistently pro-Len when we first drafted him. Most of us were neutral at best with concerns primarily about his health but he's playing at a level that few of us even thought possible.

Steve

 

[Errntknght]

Yeah, you were the only one here that was consistently pro-Len when we first drafted him. Most of us were neutral at best with concerns primarily about his health but he's playing at a level that few of us even thought possible.

Steve

I'm still here... I was pro Len from the get go. In my first post about him, when most everyone was bemoaning the pick, I predicted he would the best C Phoenix has ever had and I re-iterated it a couple of times since. FutureSS was more hyped than me but he'd watched him play at Maryland and I'd just watched a couple of videos. Heck, I got a lot of flak for complaining that Jeff needed to let him play more than five minutes at a time so he'd have a chance to get into the flow of the game now and then.

 

[SirStefan32]

I gotta hand it to you, Future Superstar- looks like you were the only one who believed in Len turning into a star. Happy to say I was wrong and you were right.

EDIT:
Looks like Errntknght was a fan from the beginning too. Good call on Len.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I'm still here... I was pro Len from the get go. In my first post about him, when most everyone was bemoaning the pick, I predicted he would the best C Phoenix has ever had and I re-iterated it a couple of times since. FutureSS was more hyped than me but he'd watched him play at Maryland and I'd just watched a couple of videos. Heck, I got a lot of flak for complaining that Jeff needed to let him play more than five minutes at a time so he'd have a chance to get into the flow of the game now and then.

Sorry about that. I wasn't trying to sell you short, I really thought that comment came a couple of months after the draft. I knew that you were talking positively about him before most of the board though.

Steve

 

[Sci Fi]

I gotta hand it to you, Future Superstar- looks like you were the only one who believed in Len turning into a star. Happy to say I was wrong and you were right.

EDIT:
Looks like Errntknght was a fan from the beginning too. Good call on Len.

You might want to look at the thread asking who was the answer to improve the Suns at center.

As usual, I knew what was up.

Unlike Steve or yourself.

You blowhards are never right.

 

[AzStevenCal]

You might want to look at the thread asking who was the answer to improve the Suns at center.

As usual, I knew what was up.

Unlike Steve or yourself.

You blowhards are never right.

A lot of us were already on the Len bandwagon by then. Future Superstar was a Maryland fan and raved about him from the draft onward when most of us were anything but fans of the pick.

Steve

 

[mojorizen7]

You might want to look at the thread asking who was the answer to improve the Suns at center.

As usual, I knew what was up.

Unlike Steve or yourself.

You blowhards are never right.

 

[devilalum]

I'm still here... I was pro Len from the get go. In my first post about him, when most everyone was bemoaning the pick, I predicted he would the best C Phoenix has ever had and I re-iterated it a couple of times since. FutureSS was more hyped than me but he'd watched him play at Maryland and I'd just watched a couple of videos. Heck, I got a lot of flak for complaining that Jeff needed to let him play more than five minutes at a time so he'd have a chance to get into the flow of the game now and then.

He wasn't a sleeper by any stretch. A LOT of people had him going #1 overall in the draft.

 

[sunsfan88]

He wasn't a sleeper by any stretch. A LOT of people had him going #1 overall in the draft.

To be fair, people were surprised with reports that CLE was going to take him #1 overall. I still remember all the bashing the Cavs got from national media & fans when that report came out.

 

[Sci Fi]

A lot of us were already on the Len bandwagon by then. Future Superstar was a Maryland fan and raved about him from the draft onward when most of us were anything but fans of the pick.

Steve

I certainly wouldn't expect you to give me any credit.

Go look at the thread about improving at the center position.

And I said numerous times last year Len was an amazing pick.

If you were so prescient about Len, you shoud have clearly stated Len was the answer. You didn't. Instead, you participated in ridiculous trade talk.

You weren't on any Len bandwagon unless you want to count being hopeful.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I certainly wouldn't expect you to give me any credit.

Go look at the thread about improving at the center position.

And I said numerous times last year Len was an amazing pick.

If you were so prescient about Len, you shoud have clearly stated Len was the answer. You didn't. Instead, you participated in ridiculous trade talk.

You weren't on any Len bandwagon unless you want to count being hopeful.

I've said quite the opposite.

Steve

 

[Cheesebeef]

I'm beyond stoked to have been proven completely wrong about Len.

 

[SirStefan32]

I'm beyond stoked to have been proven completely wrong about Len.

And I think this is what some people (Sci Fi, for example) fail to understand. Every last one of us would LOVE to be wrong about anything pessimistic/ negative they say about any of the players on the team.

 

[BC867]

And I think this is what some people (Sci Fi, for example) fail to understand. Every last one of us would LOVE to be wrong about anything pessimistic/ negative they say about any of the players on the team.

 

[Phrazbit]

And I think this is what some people (Sci Fi, for example) fail to understand. Every last one of us would LOVE to be wrong about anything pessimistic/ negative they say about any of the players on the team.

Exactly. Those who doubted Len, like myself, were not rooting against him. I repeatedly said that I would love to be wrong about him.

I am absolutely thrilled to see him already playing at a level that I would have pegged to be his ceiling as a player.

 

[sunsfan88]

And I think this is what some people (Sci Fi, for example) fail to understand. Every last one of us would LOVE to be wrong about anything pessimistic/ negative they say about any of the players on the team.

Well put. I think instead of putting the title of "haters" on others, more people need to understand this.

 

[BC867]

Well put. I think instead of putting the title of "haters" on others, more people need to understand this.

Yup. As the ol' adage says, "Attack problems, not people."