What's Alex Len's ceiling?

[Orens]

What's so special about Alex Len? Kendrick Perkins was putting up similar numbers at the same age.

Kendrick Perkins through age 21 season- 3.8 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 0.7 APG, 1.0 BPG, 2.7 Blocks/36, .503 FG%
Current Alex Len career numbers- 4.6 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 0.3 APG, 1.2 BPG, 2.8 Blocks/36, .518 FG%

Probably because Len is among the best in the NBA at protecting the rim since he's been starter.

And you looking at Len's career numbers is stupid considering Hornacek only grew a brain and started him like 2 months ago. He barely got minutes before he was a starter.

Exactly
Per game stats in 32 games as a starter: 24.3 minutes, 7.4 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.3 blocks. Feel free to per-36 those, I find it impressive anyway.
By the way, when playing 25+ minutes he gets you 12 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.3 blocks per game.

[JonFromVA]

"rim protection" is a nice ability, but the Suns were slightly more effective when they were starting Plumlee and Marcus Morris than when they switched to starting Len and Tucker. Anyway, Len's promise was never in question - just his ability to stay on the floor.

[Illmatic12]

Out of that draft I would rather have Len, Adams, Dieng, Plumlee for the long term. And Gobert, goes without saying is a clearly better prospect than Noel also.

You know what they say about opinions...I don't think you've seen Noel play at all to make this statement, which is odd given the line of 14/13/3/3/2 that he just put up on Gortat in a win over your Whiz. But anyway, thanks for not drafting him.

Gortat is one of the laziest/inconsistent effort players in the NBA.. your point?

[Raptors911]

He sucks. I've watched about 5-7 Suns game and I don't get the hype. Gobert has more potential and is better right now. But I could be wrong since I haven't watched a lot of games.

[NapoleonII]

"rim protection" is a nice ability, but the Suns were slightly more effective when they were starting Plumlee and Marcus Morris than when they switched to starting Len and Tucker. Anyway, Len's promise was never in question - just his ability to stay on the floor.

Basis for this?

Because I'm calling BS on this.

[Orens]

"rim protection" is a nice ability, but the Suns were slightly more effective when they were starting Plumlee and Marcus Morris than when they switched to starting Len and Tucker. Anyway, Len's promise was never in question - just his ability to stay on the floor.

Basis for this?

Because I'm calling BS on this.

Yep, total BS. The Suns were 13-16 in games where Len didn't start (including the one in which he sprained his ankle after playing several minutes and let the Suns got blown out with Plumlee), despite an easier schedule, and 18-13 with him starting - including the recent slide and the adjustment period after the trade deadline.

[thamadkant]

He sucks. I've watched about 5-7 Suns game and I don't get the hype. Gobert has more potential and is better right now. But I could be wrong since I haven't watched a lot of games.

He sucks?

Lol, maybe last year.

This year, when starting, he has been amazing.
Considering he is surrounded with scoring-mentality players, he doesnt much touches at all.. but the rebounding and shot blocking has been great.

Gobert too, he is going to be a league leader in blocks, along with Len.

[Revived]

He sucks. I've watched about 5-7 Suns game and I don't get the hype. Gobert has more potential and is better right now. But I could be wrong since I haven't watched a lot of games.

He isn't dominating the inside like Cousins or Marc Gasol, right now he's only making a big difference defensively and on the boards. You were probably expecting to dominate on offense or something. Or the 5-7 games you watched were when he wasn't starting and you mistook Plumlee as Len.

[Orens]

He sucks. I've watched about 5-7 Suns game and I don't get the hype. Gobert has more potential and is better right now. But I could be wrong since I haven't watched a lot of games.

He sucks?

Lol, maybe last year.

This year, when starting, he has been amazing.
Considering he is surrounded with scoring-mentality players, he doesnt much touches at all.. but the rebounding and shot blocking has been great.

Gobert too, he is going to be a league leader in blocks, along with Len.

His offensive potential (touch, range, passing ability) is higher than Gobert's...
And he has the ability to bulk up, come back even stronger next season. That will allow him to develop a couple of post moves.

[TheKingofSting]

He had a nice little jumper at Maryland.

[JonFromVA]

"rim protection" is a nice ability, but the Suns were slightly more effective when they were starting Plumlee and Marcus Morris than when they switched to starting Len and Tucker. Anyway, Len's promise was never in question - just his ability to stay on the floor.

Basis for this?

Because I'm calling BS on this.

Look at the 5-man units for the Suns on 82games.com. The only problem with the data is they don't update constantly.

[NapoleonII]

"rim protection" is a nice ability, but the Suns were slightly more effective when they were starting Plumlee and Marcus Morris than when they switched to starting Len and Tucker. Anyway, Len's promise was never in question - just his ability to stay on the floor.

Basis for this?

Because I'm calling BS on this.

Look at the 5-man units for the Suns on 82games.com. The only problem with the data is they don't update constantly.

Looking at 5-man units vs starting/non-starting and plucking out 1 players effectiveness is very problematic. I don't have time to break this down, but if they're starting Plumlee, he's playing with Dragic and Bledsoe and Markieff (and Len would be with Thomas or Green). DUH they'd be more effective.

[Ryu]

What's so special about Alex Len? Kendrick Perkins was putting up similar numbers at the same age.

Kendrick Perkins through age 21 season- 3.8 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 0.7 APG, 1.0 BPG, 2.7 Blocks/36, .503 FG%
Current Alex Len career numbers- 4.6 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 0.3 APG, 1.2 BPG, 2.8 Blocks/36, .518 FG%

A tough rim protector, blocker and rebounder who can run a court like a deer with a reasonable offensive potential and smooth jumper... I`d say that`s pretty special.

Watch a couple of Suns` games and you will see.

[RightToCensor]

Marcin Gortat?

[RightToCensor]

Noel is shooting 44% from the field?? is his offensive game that bad/raw?

He's taking jumpshots in his rookie season when he took be played solely above the rim at Kentucky.

[JonFromVA]

Basis for this?

Because I'm calling BS on this.

Look at the 5-man units for the Suns on 82games.com. The only problem with the data is they don't update constantly.

Looking at 5-man units vs starting/non-starting and plucking out 1 players effectiveness is very problematic. I don't have time to break this down, but if they're starting Plumlee, he's playing with Dragic and Bledsoe and Markieff (and Len would be with Thomas or Green). DUH they'd be more effective.

As of the date of their last update, all I'm talking here are the top two units for the Suns:

G.Dragic-Bledsoe-Tucker-Markieff.Morris-Len
G.Dragic-Bledsoe-Marcus.Morris-Markieff.Morris-Plumlee

You can also look at the #3 unit:

G.Dragic-Bledsoe-Tucker-Markieff.Morris-Plumlee

Which is identical to the #1 Len unit, but with Plumlee. It hasn't performed as well as either of the top two, but its 56.5% "Win%" is only a hair off the 57.1% number of the Len unit.

Looks to me like a pick your poison situation. The Suns are slightly better on D with Len, and slightly worse on O; otoh, they're slightly better on O with Plumlee and slightly worse on D.

It looks to me like the real problem for the Suns is what they do when Markieff Morris is off the floor, but admittedly 82games' numbers are now nearly 2-weeks out of date, so if you're seeing Len playing real well lately, we'll see it when they update.

[Young gun 6]

He has improved out of sight this year. Can't wait for the future with him.

[Orens]

Look at the 5-man units for the Suns on 82games.com. The only problem with the data is they don't update constantly.

Looking at 5-man units vs starting/non-starting and plucking out 1 players effectiveness is very problematic. I don't have time to break this down, but if they're starting Plumlee, he's playing with Dragic and Bledsoe and Markieff (and Len would be with Thomas or Green). DUH they'd be more effective.

As of the date of their last update, all I'm talking here are the top two units for the Suns:

G.Dragic-Bledsoe-Tucker-Markieff.Morris-Len
G.Dragic-Bledsoe-Marcus.Morris-Markieff.Morris-Plumlee

You can also look at the #3 unit:

G.Dragic-Bledsoe-Tucker-Markieff.Morris-Plumlee

Which is identical to the #1 Len unit, but with Plumlee. It hasn't performed as well as either of the top two, but its 56.5% "Win%" is only a hair off the 57.1% number of the Len unit.

Looks to me like a pick your poison situation. The Suns are slightly better on D with Len, and slightly worse on O; otoh, they're slightly better on O with Plumlee and slightly worse on D.

It looks to me like the real problem for the Suns is what they do when Markieff Morris is off the floor, but admittedly 82games' numbers are now nearly 2-weeks out of date, so if you're seeing Len playing real well lately, we'll see it when they update.

As a starter his net rating is 4.3, while coming off the bench it was -3.5.
A net rating represents the player's time ON THE COURT.
Len is simply more intelligent than Plumlee on both ends, plus he's 5 years younger. The team has struggled with Plumlee starting, fell to 12-14, and that's why he was demoted. Len has proved he's simply a better player.

[lakersin4]

He sucks. I've watched about 5-7 Suns game and I don't get the hype. Gobert has more potential and is better right now. But I could be wrong since I haven't watched a lot of games.

He sucks?

Lol, maybe last year.

This year, when starting, he has been amazing.
Considering he is surrounded with scoring-mentality players, he doesnt much touches at all.. but the rebounding and shot blocking has been great.

Gobert too, he is going to be a league leader in blocks, along with Len.

He definitely doesn't suck, Len may very well end up being a very good player for many years, but I hate when people do what you did in your last sentence. Why exactly is he going to be a league leader in blocks? Because PER36 says so? Those numbers rarely if ever translate when players start getting 33+ MPG consistently. Not to mention as 7 footers get older, they tend to suffer more & more injuries & lose that athleticism that allows them to block so many shots. They become more savvy about the game & learn that they can have a bigger overall impact on defense by not blocking as many shots, but instead altering them, so that they don't leave their feet & remain in better defensive position.

Like I said, Len looks like he can be a very good player & I'm not taking anything away from him. But don't assume he's ever going to block more shots than he is right now.

[tiderulz]

probably need more than 35 games into his career to figure this out. too many people want to declare what a player is and will become so early in their career. Especially someone who is only 21