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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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Sep 28, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns center Tyson Chandler (left) and center Alex Len pose for a portrait during media day at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

The Twin Towers Lineup

According to Watson, the Twin Towers lineup that earned him his first win as the Suns’ head coach isn’t going anywhere. Len will start for the rest of the season as long as he’s healthy, and in matchups against teams with more traditional big men like Memphis, we’ll likely see Chandler and Len starting alongside each other.

“When you play he and Tyson or he and Mirza [Teletovic], it’s a tough cover because you got two seven-footers you have to beat on offense,” Watson said. “Who’s playing two seven-footers anymore? 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.”

On the season, lineups featuring that Twin Towers combo have been outscored by 62 points overall, but they’ve only logged 117 minutes together in a total of eight games, so that’s a small sample size that needs to be taken with another large grain of salt considering this team has an average point differential of -6.9 anyway.

Against teams with more traditional bigs who can’t space the floor like Memphis, the Twin Towers lineup has been more successful. In the Grizzlies game, Len (16), Chandler (12) and P.J. Tucker (11) all finished with double-digit rebounds, helping the Suns out-rebound their opponent by a massive 56-34 margin.

“I like it, especially when we play teams with two traditional bigs,” Len said of the lineup. “I feel like we have an advantage. Every time we play together, we do a great job against another big lineup.”

Marc Gasol‘s absence and Brandan Wright‘s mid-game injury meant the opposing frontcourt was nowhere near as imposing as it normally is, but the Suns going big could be something we see more of over the season’s final 23 games.

They won’t win many games with this lineup, especially against small-ball teams that can spread the floor, but who cares? The rest of this season is about getting young guys like Len as many minutes and touches as possible, and if it comes at the cost of starting a Twin Towers lineup, so be it.

“I love the lineup,” Tucker said. “We’re big, we’re strong, and I very seriously doubt we ever get out-rebounded with that lineup. We like stealing rebounds from each other; we always laugh and joke because we’re all really good rebounders. Being able to close that paint down even more and getting our guards to stay in front of other guards, with that lineup, it could definitely work for us.”

Next: The Potential

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