Personally, I think Len is going to be a good one. I’m not saying he’s going to be a 10-time All-Star, but he has all the tools to be a truly efficient player in the middle for years to come. A long and athletic seven-footer, he’s one of those rare breeds that looks comfortable with his body.
Player: Alen Len
Position: Center
Size: 7-1/255 (7-3 wingspan)
Age: 19 (Turns 20 June 16)
School: Maryland
Last Season Stats: 11.9 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.1 blocks
THE GOOD:
The thing you notice is his agility and mobility. He’s already proven to be a solid pick and roll guy, one of the most used plays in the NBA. He runs the floor well and is not afraid to face the basket and put the ball on the floor and attack.
Inside, Len has soft hands and good touch. First, he keeps the ball up high, which I love, because it prevents turnovers.
Also, he can score with his back to the basket, using both head fakes and pivot moves to throw off his defender.
On the defensive side, he’s a rim protector who is pretty good at avoiding fouls. Because of some solid foot speed, he’s a good help defender, able to control the entire paint area.
THE BAD:
Len is just scratching the service. I never thought Maryland did a great job using him. Their spacing was terrible, the four spot was weak and the guards more often than put up quick shots instead of working the offense through Len.
Right now, he obviously needs to improve going to his left with his back to the basket and extend his range.
However, the main issue is, Len needs to get a ball sack and get mean. Against bulky and physical inside guys, Len would get passive and drift away from the rim. Also, when his teammates forgot about him, Len didn’t demand the ball enough.
On the defensive end, he can sometimes go into sleep mode. He needs to get mean on both sides of the floor.
THE PROJECTION:
Where Len will be drafted is tough to predict. Right now, mock drafts have him going to every team from picks three to ten in the lottery. I had him going to Washington. I still think he’d be a perfect fit for the Wizards, but thanks to a stress fracture in his left ankle, my guess is Washington looks elsewhere with the third overall pick.
If Washington does pass on the big guy, I think the Charlotte Bobcats would be stupid to let him slip by. They need a ton of help, but most folks have either Anthony Bennett or Victor Oladipo getting picked by the Bobcats.
So I’m going to predict New Orleans. Next to Anthony Davis at the four, the Pelicans could have one of the biggest and better front courts in the NBA if they put Len in the paint with Davis.
