Alex Len: Past, Present, and Future Phoenix Sun?

Alan Williams took most of the shine from Alex Len the second half of the season. Despite Len being the starting center after the All-Star break, Williams wound up being the closing center for the club. Williams has something that many players in this league lack and cannot be quantified, heart and passion. Len has lacked the toughness Williams brings to the court, a trait that is not lost on fans.

Alex Len has also struggled with staying on the court. This past season he averaged 3.1 personal fouls per game in only 20.3 minutes per game. This has prevented him from getting into the flow of the game. Being in his fourth year, you would expect a player like Len to not commit unnecessary fouls, yet he continues to do so throughout his developing career. Williams averaged less personal fouls per game than Len and has played in 209 fewer games.

An area that Alex Len excelled at compared to Alan Williams was shot blocking. Len averaged a block percentage of 5.1%, ranking third in the entire NBA last season. This was a higher percentage than renown shot blockers such as Hassan Whiteside and DeAndre Jordan. With Tyson Chandler shut down the second half of the season, Len was the only shot blocking presence on the team.

Another area that separates Len and Williams is their age.  While Len has four years of NBA experience compared to Williams’ one and a half, Len is still the younger player by five months. Len also has the physical tools that Williams lacks such as superior height and athleticism, two attributes that cannot be taught.