Alex Len: 2014-15 Phoenix Suns Player Grades

Feb 25, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Phoenix Suns center Alex Len (21) shoots the ball over Denver Nuggets center Jusuf Nurkic (23) during the second half at Pepsi Center. The Suns won 110-96. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 25, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Phoenix Suns center Alex Len (21) shoots the ball over Denver Nuggets center Jusuf Nurkic (23) during the second half at Pepsi Center. The Suns won 110-96. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
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Alex Len
Jan 4, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns center Alex Len (21) against the Toronto Raptors at US Airways Center. The Suns defeated the Raptors 125-109. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Overview

Alex Len is now the cornerstone of the Phoenix Suns. Last season (and at the beginning of this season) he was stuck behind Miles Plumlee at the center position and had nagging injuries holding him back, causing him to only play in exactly half of the games last year.

This year he supplanted Plumlee as the starter and played in 69 games (44 as a starter). His minutes went from 8.6 per game to 22.0 as he showed everyone why he was picked fifth overall in the 2013 NBA Draft.

Of course, the emergence of Len couldn’t stop the Suns from regressing as a team. Instead of greatly exceeding expectations and finishing with a surprising 48 wins like last year, the Suns fell to 39 wins on the season amid some injury problems, regression and chemistry issues ignited by the bomb Goran Dragic and Isaiah Thomas deals created at the trade deadline.

It was pretty impossible to face that brutal schedule missing Len and Brandon Knight as well as a third of their roster at the trade deadline.

But it was still a promising year from Len, so here’s a look back on his 2014-15 season.

Next: Weaknesses