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Phoenix Suns: Alex Len Just Scratching The Surface Of His Potential

By Gerald Bourguet

Feb 27, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph (50) guards Phoenix Suns center Alex Len (21) during the second half at Talking Stick Resort Arena. The Suns won 111-106. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 27, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph (50) guards Phoenix Suns center Alex Len (21) during the second half at Talking Stick Resort Arena. The Suns won 111-106. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports /
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Phoenix Suns
Feb 27, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns center Alex Len (21) controls the ball against Memphis Grizzlies forward JaMychal Green (0) during the first half at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports /

The New No. 1 Option

With Eric Bledsoe, Brandon Knight and T.J. Warren all injured, the Suns were missing their three leading scorers on the season before the Markieff Morris trade shipped away their fourth leading scorer and plunged the team headfirst into a new youth movement.

The burden of being the team’s No. 1 option on offense initially fell to Devin Booker, but the 19-year-old rookie struggled as defenses shifted their full attention to hounding him all over the court.

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Booker hitting the rookie wall came at an unfortunate time for Suns fans who clung to him as the lone remaining bright spot in such a dismal season, but Watson recognized the need for taking pressure off his rookie and decided on a more unconventional solution: Running the offense through the team’s 22-year-old center.

“We talked about establishing points in the paint,” Watson explained. “After the [Morris] trade we couldn’t establish that. So what do we do? Started big, started Alex Len.”

Before the Memphis game, Watson texted Len and told him that not only would he be starting, but that he’d be the team’s new No. 1 option moving forward. Len responded well to his latest challenge from his new head coach, posting 22 points (7-of-11 shooting), 16 rebounds and two blocks in 34 minutes.

In the month of February alone, Len has posted new career highs in scoring (23 against the San Antonio Spurs on Feb. 21) and rebounding (18 against the Houston Rockets on Feb. 4) and made free throws (eight against the Grizzlies on Feb. 27).

Since the Morris trade, Len is averaging 18.0 points, 10.8 rebounds and 0.5 blocks in 26.6 minutes per game while shooting 50.3 percent from the floor. Four games is a small sample size, but with Watson focused on putting Len, Booker and Archie Goodwin in better positions to succeed, this might be the breakthrough that Alex Len advocates have been waiting for.

“Let’s let Book ease to the No. 2 option and make it easier for him,” Watson said. “Now you have to defend the paint, which will make it easier for Booker on the perimeter, and that’s a good balance.”

Next: The Twin Towers Lineup

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