Alex Len: 2014-15 Phoenix Suns Player Grades

Strengths

Those weaknesses are just due to inexperience and will go away. Len has just so much latent potential and his jumper is easily fixable. Give him another offseason to gain muscle and awareness and watch his rebounding and post defense improve by leaps and bounds.

He even said it himself in the exit interviews: “[I need to] keep building on what I have right now, develop a post game and just keep getting stronger, pay attention to the little things.”

Everything will be better next year as he’ll have the solidified role as the starting center and consistent minutes. There is a good chance he won’t foul nearly as much next year too.

Len blocked 1.5 shots per game on the season, but deterred so many more. Players didn’t want to go into the paint against him and he changed the shots of many in the paint. According to NylonCalculus’ metric that evaluates rim protection, Len was seventh in the entire NBA in points saved per 36 minutes.

This is their explanation of the metric: Saved/36 – How many points a player saves per 36 minutes, given the number of shots they contest per at the rim per 36 minutes, and their opponents’ field goal percentage on shots they contest at the rim, compared to the league average field goal percentage at the rim.

For the next decade, Len could conceivably be a top-three rim protector in the entire NBA, along with Rudy Gobert and Nerlens Noel.

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