Phoenix Suns' Alex Len healthy, strong for feature role
Basketball found Alex Len when he was a tall, young gymnast in his small, coal-mining town of Antratstit, Ukraine.
Unlike many big man prodigies, Len stayed with the game because he had a passion for it, not just because he happened to be born with the frame for it. He has worked at his craft through moves out of his hometown at age 15 and then his country at age 17. He navigated the language barriers while playing at Maryland, fought foot surgeries during the draft process and pesky injuries during his three-year pro career in hopes that a time would come for his improved health, strength and basketball acumen to coalesce.
Len gets the final 24 games of this season to do that as a starter and the Suns' primary offensive target. He began with a 22-point, 16-rebound game Saturday to help end the Suns’ 13-game losing streak. Len and fellow 7-foot-1 center Tyson Chandler started the game for the first time since a five-game string in late January.
“Who’s playing two 7-footers any more?” Suns interim head coach Earl Watson said. “We have this trend of playing small ball and we know the greatest small ball team is the Warriors. We’re not going to catch them. Let’s create a new trend. Let’s let Alex Len get experience.”
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The only other team starting two 7-footers currently is New York, but it is a much different makeup with 7-foot banger Robin Lopez and 7-3 skilled rookie Kristaps Porzingis.
Even with Chandler’s arrival this season, Len will end up starting more games this season (46) than last season (44) if he remains healthy. It should lead to Len's largest role yet in the offense, where his repertoire has diversified.
Len’s strength has improved to finish around the hoop, where he has 60 dunks this season. He also works in post hook shots, an improving perimeter shot, the occasional bank shot that he worked on with Tim Duncan last summer and a once-in-a-while finger-roll drive like he had Saturday night.
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Len, 22, is sealing better for his post position and staying active, like he was on a game-cinching play Saturday when he fluidly went from setting a high screen to flashing in the post to slamming back a Suns miss. His mid-range shooting has improved some this season, especially as his feel develops for what to do on square-ups.
“I’m just trying to be aggressive and look for my shot,” Len said. “My patience got better. I just don’t rush. I look at my options and go to work.”
Len had to go through an injury to his shooting hand, a sprain to his right ankle and the lack of point guards this season. He has doubled his assist rate but the Suns needed his post threat to help open shooters, such as Devin Booker, and his paint presence to deter drivers and control the boards.
“He’s getting better every single year,” Suns forward P.J. Tucker said. “He’s continuing to get better. His confidence is skyrocketing and we’re putting that confidence in him. I think he hasn’t even scratched the surface. Alex is going to be getting 30-and-20 games soon because Alex is just phenomenal. He’s in great shape to run the floor. His hands have got a lot better. He’s worked on that a lot, being able to catch the ball. He’s catching the ball. He’s knocking the shot down. He’s doing it all.”
Previous Suns coach Jeff Hornacek tried Chandler and Len together briefly in desperation during a Jan. 3 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. He came back to the 14-foot-2 look in late January for five consecutive starts when they were dealing with power forward injuries. The lineup went 1-4 in that stretch. Despite outrebounding opponents, the Suns have been outscored by 62 points in the centers’ 117 minutes of court time together this season.
They also just won with the look against Memphis to break a franchise-record-tying single-season losing streak. Now, they will try the lineup again in hopes of ending their 15-game road losing streak Tuesday night at Charlotte. Len has played big in the Suns’ best two recent efforts – Saturday’s win and the previous week’s close home loss to San Antonio in which he had a career-high 23 points.
“I like it,” Len said of starting with Chandler. “Especially when we play teams with two traditional bigs. I feel like we have an advantage. Every time we play together, we’re doing great against another big lineup.”
Reach Paul Coro at paul.coro@arizonarepublic.com or (602) 444-2470. Follow him at twitter.com/paulcoro.
Tuesday’s game: Suns at Hornets
When: 5 p.m.
Where: Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte.
TV/radio: FSAZ/KMVP-FM (98.7).
Hornets update: Charlotte (30-28) has won 11 of its past 16 games despite losing 87-86 to Atlanta on Sunday. Kemba Walker made three of 15 shots in the loss, including 0-for-7 3-point shooting, but is averaging 20.7 points, 5.1 assists and 1.8 steals this season. Nicolas Batum adds 14.5 points, 6.4 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game. Al Jefferson is back after December knee surgery, playing the past five games off the bench. The Hornets lead the NBA in defensive rebound percentage and have the league’s fourth-lowest turnover average (13.1).