Valley of the Suns
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Suns: Why Alex Len’s Breakout Season Could Come In A Bench Role

By Gerald Bourguet

Oct 9, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns center Alex Len (21) defends Utah Jazz forward Chris Johnson (23) after catching a rebound in the second half at Talking Stick Resort Arena. The Suns defeat the Jazz 101-85. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 9, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns center Alex Len (21) defends Utah Jazz forward Chris Johnson (23) after catching a rebound in the second half at Talking Stick Resort Arena. The Suns defeat the Jazz 101-85. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 9, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns center Alex Len (21) defends Utah Jazz forward Chris Johnson (23) after catching a rebound in the second half at Talking Stick Resort Arena. The Suns defeat the Jazz 101-85. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports /

Get ready for a sentence you’ve probably never read before: This season, the Phoenix Suns’ strongest position could very well be at center. For a franchise that’s been built on up-tempo offense, high scoring wings and three-point gunning, this is quite literally a changing of the guard.

That’s not to say the Suns are inept in the backcourt; if anything, they’re sticking with the dual point guard system that worked so well for Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe not so long ago, adding combo guard Brandon Knight to the mix in a pairing the Suns hope will prosper for years to come.

ALSO ON VALLEY OF THE SUNS: 5 Goals For Alex Len In 2015-16

But even though the offseason addition of Tyson Chandler wasn’t quite enough to land LaMarcus Aldridge, the Suns got more than a consolation prize in the former Defensive Player of the Year and NBA champion. Not only does Chandler make the Suns a better team as the starter, but moving Alex Len to the bench provides Phoenix with the kind of front court potential and depth this franchise has never seen.

Last night in the Suns’ preseason win over the Utah Jazz, Len stuffed the stat sheet with a team-high 21 points, six rebounds, three blocks and two steals in 23 minutes off the bench. He went 7-for-10 from the floor, 7-for-8 from the foul line and had a couple of highlight put-backs en route to a convincing performance.

True enough, one preseason game does not make a breakout season. It should be noted that Len was not exactly going up against world-class competition, with most of his looks coming against Tibor Pleiss or an undersized Trevor Booker.

It’s also worth noting that Len is now firmly entrenched in a bench role, which would — by all logical sense — hinder his chances at making “the leap” season.

But in this particular case, here’s why last night’s standout performance is such a good sign, and why we could still be looking at a breakout year from the seven-foot Ukrainian even as a backup for Tyson Chandler.

Next: The Summer Work

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