Phoenix Suns: Alex Len Filling Tyson Chandler’s Shoes

With Tyson Chandler still sidelined, the Phoenix Suns have relied on an impressive Alex Len at the center position.

When the Phoenix Suns signed Tyson Chandler to a massive four-year, $52 million contract over the summer, it was meant to entice free agent LaMarcus Aldridge. But even without Aldridge joining the mix, the move provided Phoenix with veteran leadership, a defensive anchor and a rebounding machine on the interior.

Most important of all, however, has been his presence as a mentor for 22-year-old Alex Len.

So far this season, Chandler hasn’t done much for the Suns on the court. He was averaging 5.0 points, 8.8 rebounds and 0.7 blocks per game before a strained right hamstring sidelined him for the team’s last seven contests, and the Suns’ “Twin Towers” schtick never came to be.

But for those wondering why the Suns gave Chandler such a huge contract, Len’s recent play in his mentor’s absence is a decent indicator.

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Over the last seven games in the starting lineup, the young Ukrainian has averaged 11.4 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. He’s shot 56.1 percent from the floor and despite a disastrous 2-4 road trip, it’s worth noting that the Suns were in position to win every game.

With those four road losses coming by a combined 13 points (including one game that needed overtime), Phoenix had the opportunity to win every game. Sometimes the ball didn’t bounce their way, sometimes they made costly turnovers on crucial possessions and sometimes they just got lazy defensively and let their foot off the gas.

But in all four road losses, the Suns had a sizable fourth quarter lead they let slip away. Phoenix has executed a little bit better down the stretch of their last two wins, a trend that should continue to improve as these youngsters grow together. In Alex Len’s case, Tyson Chandler’s injury has been something of a blessing in disguise in that regard.

Before the surprise offseason signing, Len was the projected starting center, and there was some mix of anticipation, excitement and nervousness about what he’d be able to showcase in his first full season as the starter. Chandler’s arrival robbed him of that opportunity, but Len’s performances over the last two weeks show it’s given fans something much more beneficial for the long-term.

Against the Brooklyn Nets, Len tallied 13 points, a career-high 14 rebounds and three blocks in a three-point loss. Against the Memphis Grizzlies, it was his clutch rebound and put-back that tied the game before Jeff Green‘s game-winning dunk sank the Suns right before the buzzer.

Wednesday night against Nikola Vucevic and the Orlando Magic, Len had his best performance of the season, putting up a career-high 20 points and posting a career-high 14 boards for the second time in December.

He also chipped in three blocks, including the game-sealing block on Evan Fournier‘s desperation three-point attempt on the final possession. Len said all those struggles in late-game situations on the team’s recent road trip may have served a purpose after all.

“I think it was actually a great experience for the team, those late-game situations for us,” he said after the Orlando win. “We lost a few of them but not easily. Like, we won in Chicago and we won today in those late-game situations, so I think it was actually great for us as an experience.”

What was truly nice to see, however, was the passion that Len has shown glimpses of in the past. It’s not often that he gets to do so, but his big boy three-point play against Aaron Gordon (above) and his clutch block against Tobias Harris brought out primal roars that ignited Talking Stick Resort Arena into the biggest booming cheers of the night.

“You just don’t know me that well, I’m not that quiet,” Len joked about the block after the game. “But yeah, it was just a good emotional play, you know? I think it got us going.”

Seven games, three double-doubles and one monster career night constitute a small sample size, but the Suns saw glimpses of this very potential last season when he took over the starting job.

Entering the season, the Chandler-Len tandem was expected to help launch the Suns’ defense into top-10 territory. That hasn’t happened, with Phoenix surrendering 103.1 points per 100 possessions on the year (19th), but over these last seven games, that defensive rating has slightly improved to 102.3.

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Phoenix’s defense still has a long way to go, and massive double-double nights like Len’s career performance against Orlando probably won’t become the standard. But Len outmuscling an established center — even one as averse to contact as Nikola Vucevic — bodes well for a franchise that’s been patiently waiting for Alex Len to start looking like the top-five pick that he is.

“Unbelievable,” Eric Bledsoe said of his performance. “As the season goes on, you’re gonna see more and more of him being consistent. It’s just playing time right now and his confidence.”

“Confidence” was the main buzzword used in the locker room Wednesday night, with Bledsoe, Brandon Knight and head coach Jeff Hornacek all using it to describe Len’s encouraging play over the last few weeks.

“I think just his feet and maybe his ankles, maybe they all feel good now,” Hornacek said. “When he’s got that spring I think he feels confident and can take it to the basket and still finish.”

On the season, Len is averaging a meager 7.0 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game while shooting 50.4 percent from the floor. But according to Len, he’s been working with his mentor — including a 30-minute session with Bledsoe and Knight after shoot-around the day of the Magic game — to make the right reads in pick-and-roll sets.

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It certainly seemed to pay off Wednesday night against Orlando’s swarming defense that ably stifles opposing backcourts, since the Suns’ perimeter players constantly found Len on the roll in prime scoring position.

“I was just trying to go to the boards, do the little dirty stuff — not dirty stuff, you know, the dirty work — and my teammates, almost everybody hit me one time today,” Len said. “P.J., Bled, Brandon, they always look for me. I’ve got to give credit to them.”

The versatility of Jon Leuer being able to play the 4 or the 5 and Mirza Teletovic‘s hot shooting — not to mention Devin Booker‘s ability to play the 3 and Hornacek’s trust in him playing crunch-time minutes — has sometimes relegated Len to the bench this season, even in this recent stretch with Chandler sidelined.

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But even if the Twin Towers gimmick wasn’t meant to be, Len has found his fit with these small-ball Suns and is thriving in Chandler’s absence. That breakthrough season isn’t guaranteed by any means as long as Len backs up Chandler, but if this promising play continues, Hornacek may need to rethink yet another change in his starting frontcourt rotation.

Alex Len isn’t just filling Tyson Chandler’s shoes; he’s getting closer to outgrowing them.