Alex Len returns on one year contract
- Thread starter Tetsujin
- Start date
Brown was on to something, If Brown decided to use Len in the Playoffs, I think there's a fair chance he starts utilizing Len more to see what they do with him during the regular season. I wonder how much Len can improve his offense - he actually can pass decently. i think he still could surprise.
Very pleased with his resigning.
Very pleased with his resigning.
I've said this before, but continuity is underrated.
All of the comments about "running it back with the same team" don't seem to acknowledge that the team that ended last season was significantly different than the one that started it.
Not from a personnel standpoint per se. The only real changes to the roster were swapping Okpala (who actually started the first couple games) and Moneke for Kessler Edwards and PJ Dozier.
But the team that started 0-4 was still just learning the offensive and defensive concepts. Learning where guys wanted the ball. The coaching staff was still figuring out rotations.
Backup center was an issue all season with Brown mostly settling on Metu. It took until the postseason to realize that Len could give size, rebounding, and physicality and that Lyles as a smallball 5 spaced the floor without hurting the defense too much.
I expect this team to hit the ground running next season even if they won't be sneaking up on anyone.
And part of why will be that they now know the answer when they need a backup big to bang in the paint or when they want to unlock ridiculous scoring potential.
All of the comments about "running it back with the same team" don't seem to acknowledge that the team that ended last season was significantly different than the one that started it.
Not from a personnel standpoint per se. The only real changes to the roster were swapping Okpala (who actually started the first couple games) and Moneke for Kessler Edwards and PJ Dozier.
But the team that started 0-4 was still just learning the offensive and defensive concepts. Learning where guys wanted the ball. The coaching staff was still figuring out rotations.
Backup center was an issue all season with Brown mostly settling on Metu. It took until the postseason to realize that Len could give size, rebounding, and physicality and that Lyles as a smallball 5 spaced the floor without hurting the defense too much.
I expect this team to hit the ground running next season even if they won't be sneaking up on anyone.
And part of why will be that they now know the answer when they need a backup big to bang in the paint or when they want to unlock ridiculous scoring potential.
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A set they used a bit at end of season was having Len in the corner to space things out on some possessions. There's 2 moves w/ this that could work assuming a defender is not covering him (and if defender is, well then the spacing worked)
- If he's wide-open, can shoot it
- If he's wide-open, have another shooter come to Len & he can do a dribble hand-off/pick so the shooter has an open look. If no one is guarding Len, there would be no-one to switch on this
So even if he's not a "threat to shoot" to start, the threat is being a "threat to set a pick to get a shooter open". I rarely see this sort of action run but I'm curious if it would work consistently.
- Another part of Len's offensive game that some fans don't recognize is simply his ability to screen and roll to the basket can get guys to suck the lane & give Fox/Monk space to kickout to shooters. That's the downfall of say Lyles being a small ball 5 even offensively. He's not going to create much downward pressure to the rim or even create pressure offensive rebounding. With 5 sec. left on shot clock, Len can create a clean look every time by setting a pick for a Fox/Monk jumper. That "last resort" play kind of goes away without him in there. There's just little things that really matter that Len does in my opinion that I think the Kings will miss if they insist on small-ball backup 5 & I didn't even touch on defense which is the obvious affect.
- If he's wide-open, can shoot it
- If he's wide-open, have another shooter come to Len & he can do a dribble hand-off/pick so the shooter has an open look. If no one is guarding Len, there would be no-one to switch on this
So even if he's not a "threat to shoot" to start, the threat is being a "threat to set a pick to get a shooter open". I rarely see this sort of action run but I'm curious if it would work consistently.
- Another part of Len's offensive game that some fans don't recognize is simply his ability to screen and roll to the basket can get guys to suck the lane & give Fox/Monk space to kickout to shooters. That's the downfall of say Lyles being a small ball 5 even offensively. He's not going to create much downward pressure to the rim or even create pressure offensive rebounding. With 5 sec. left on shot clock, Len can create a clean look every time by setting a pick for a Fox/Monk jumper. That "last resort" play kind of goes away without him in there. There's just little things that really matter that Len does in my opinion that I think the Kings will miss if they insist on small-ball backup 5 & I didn't even touch on defense which is the obvious affect.
And the underrating of Len continues … I almost feel like the last 15 games of last season and playoffs didn’t happen where Len was a positive player in virtually every game. Unless you’re suggesting they need an upgrade at the 4 spot which makes some sense. But for backup center minutes, I don’t see how Len doesn’t fit the bill of exactly what they need from that role.
I still do not understand why he went from season-long afterthought to the end-of-season and playoff rotation. The only thing I can figure out is: 1) Chimezie Metu said something the coach did not like, and ended up in the doghouse, or 2) Coach Brown saw the Warriors coming in the rear-view mirror and decided to adjust the lineup accordingly.
To be clear, I think Len is a decent, very hard-working player. He sets picks better than anyone on the team not named Sabonis or Monk. He also rebounds at a high percentage, a talent that was consistent from the regular season to the playoffs.
To be clear, I think Len is a decent, very hard-working player. He sets picks better than anyone on the team not named Sabonis or Monk. He also rebounds at a high percentage, a talent that was consistent from the regular season to the playoffs.
Len did well in his role when called upon, but I don’t he’s an every night playable guy. He’s good in situational matchups to guard the big boys, but he’s gonna get smoked on defense by some of the more mobile/agile big guys. I think it’s absolutely necessary to have a guy like Len on the roster, but I still think a mobile defender is also a role that’s needed at the backup 5 spot to guard the faster players.
Len is big and lumbering and has some valuable skills, but the NBA is getting more and more athletic every year, and I just don’t see any way he can get in the game against some of the younger faster teams. Maybe Lyles is the guy in some of those situations, but obviously defense isn’t his strong suit either. I thought Plumlee would have been perfect for this team to split time with Len.
Len is big and lumbering and has some valuable skills, but the NBA is getting more and more athletic every year, and I just don’t see any way he can get in the game against some of the younger faster teams. Maybe Lyles is the guy in some of those situations, but obviously defense isn’t his strong suit either. I thought Plumlee would have been perfect for this team to split time with Len.
I figured we'd move on from Len but if you think about last year vs. this year, we had a bunch of guys who were surplus to our needs (Holmes, Metu) that Brown was trying to work in and find the best fit. At the end of the season Lyles emerged as the small ball answer and Len as the big body. There's always a chance Queta develops but it's seemingly not too likely, so we bought ourselves a year to find a long term fit. Given how much the average backup big costs these days I am sure we can do it with our salary flexibility/MLE next year if we don't buy someone at the deadline or draft this person.
We also added Sasha who is looking like a stretch four, and if Keegan has really stepped up his game it looks like Sasha and Barnes may be competing for minutes most nights not Sasha and Keegs.
I still think getting another wing stopper is #1 priority if we also don't secretly already have this guy on our roster. Between Sasha (or Barnes), Len and Lyles that's 3 guys to backup the starting 4 & 5.
We also added Sasha who is looking like a stretch four, and if Keegan has really stepped up his game it looks like Sasha and Barnes may be competing for minutes most nights not Sasha and Keegs.
I still think getting another wing stopper is #1 priority if we also don't secretly already have this guy on our roster. Between Sasha (or Barnes), Len and Lyles that's 3 guys to backup the starting 4 & 5.