Phoenix Suns: 5 Midseason Takeaways For 2016-17

5. Suns Are Making A Mistake With Len

I’ve written this so many times it’s basically the equivalent of screaming until you’re blue in the face, but here we go one more time: The Phoenix Suns need to be starting Alex Len at center.

Not because he’s necessarily deserving, but because this front office needs to figure out what the hell it has in its seven-foot Ukrainian before he enters restricted free agency this summer.

So far, all we know about Alex Len is what he is right now — a bumbling and unathletic center who takes too many midrange jumpers, often gets inside his own head when it comes to his offense and probably commits too many fouls still.

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However, we’ve also seen him put up starting-caliber numbers in the limited instances when he’s been given ample minutes. He’s got softer hands than people realize, he has shot-blocking potential and at age 23, he could be a part of the Suns’ long-term plans.

The problem is that’s “could” instead of “should” or “won’t.” There’s no definitive answer since we only have a rough outline of what Alex Len might be. Right now, he’s a largely flawed player being reduced to backup minutes and not being given his chance to truly grow. But what could he become if he finally got his fair shot at the starting job?

In his 10 starts this season, Len put up 9.8 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in just 26.4 minutes per game on 58 percent shooting — more than respectable numbers for a starting center. In his 30 games off the bench, Len has averaged 7.3 points, 5.7 boards and 1.3 rejections in 19.0 minutes per game.

Having Tyson Chandler as a mentor is great, but now Len needs the chance to fly the nest already. Let him either prove he can be the rim protector this young core needs, or reveal himself as a backup.

Len being a restricted free agent gives Phoenix the upper hand, but the front office also needs to have a better idea about his market value, his value to this team, and his long-term fit in a frontcourt that already includes promising youngsters Marquese Chriss and Dragan Bender.

Can Chriss and Bender thrive together at the 4 and 5? Is Len simply a backup? Could he be an average NBA starter at the center spot? We honestly have no idea, and playing Tyson Chandler 30+ minutes a night isn’t helping matters.