Alex Len: Improvements For Year Three

Pick & Roll/Chemistry

If you’re a Suns fan, there is a 99 percent 100 percent chance that the words “pick and roll” bring back memories of Steve Nash and Amar’e Stoudemire absolutely dicing up defenses. Well this summer, Len and Eric Bledsoe have reportedly been spending a lot of time in the gym working on that very thing.

Now, coming into the year, there were some questions about whether or not Bledsoe would be back, but recently the Suns have refuted these rumors. For the time being, it appears like the two could have a chance to mesh as the team tries to contend for a playoff spot, and while Suns fans may not be incredibly high on either guy, the important thing is that they’re building that chemistry and skill together.

Regardless, the pick and roll isn’t going anywhere as a staple in the Suns’ offense. I mean, just take a look at how the Suns scored on the first possession of their first game in the 2014-15 season.

I think we’ve pretty much established at this point that the Suns are trying to open up a window three or four (or five) seasons from now, when the team’s best players are in their primes, so the fact that these guys have been working at it together really does mean something.

Player ages

2019-20 season

Devin Booker: 23

Archie Goodwin: 25

T.J. Warren: 26

Alex Len: 26

Brandon Knight: 27

Eric Bledsoe: 29

Markieff Morris: 30

Whether or not you believe in that core, the fact that there is a core is progress in of itself. The Suns have at least one young player with potential at every position, and I think it’s fair to say that in a couple of years, Phoenix could be a pretty attractive free agent destination, talent-wise.

There’s no way to know what the future holds. The Suns could very well deal Bledsoe, while Len could never play a full season again because of his health; the Morris twins could never outplay their baggage while T.J. Warren and Archie Goodwin never develop.

But why dwell on the negative when positive things are happening right now?

Alex Len is in the gym working on the intricacies of his game alongside the Suns’ best player, coming off of a season where he (Len) showed flashes of how good he could become. If a third-year jump is in the cards for the center out of Maryland, there’s a good chance we feel a lot differently about this team heading into the next offseason.

This is also where the addition of Tyson Chandler comes into play. Chandler would be able to mentor Len and help him improve his game in many ways, and one of those would be in how he learns the pick-and-roll.

It’s actually kind of funny: If you search “Tyson Chandler Pick and Roll” on YouTube or Google, you’ll actually get a surprisingly large number of results. That’s because Chandler is among the best in the game at that type of offense, and hopefully it’s something he’ll be able to teach Alex Len moving forward.

And when it comes to the mentorship from Chandler… could there BE a better option?

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