Phoenix Suns select C Alex Len with the fifth pick in the NBA Draft
Jun 28, 2013, 12:12 AM | Updated: Jun 29, 2013, 1:02 am
The Phoenix Suns selected Maryland center Alex Len with the fifth overall pick in the NBA Draft on Thursday.
Len averaged 11.9 points and 7.8 rebounds per game during his sophomore season in school. He was a member of the All-ACC Defensive Team as he led the conference with 2.1 blocked shots per game.
“We’re really excited to have Alex Len with the fifth pick,” Suns general manager Ryan McDonough said. “We feel like Alex is one of the top players in the draft. He’s a good who just turned 20 years old, he’s 7-foot-1, he’s extremely skilled.
“He’s had good success at the college level, but we think he’s just scratching the surface of his potential as a player, and we were thrilled to get him at five.”
The Ukrainian is a very raw talent that possesses a lot of potential. Len is very good defensively with an improving offensive game in the post. He also has the tools to be a prolific rebounder in the NBA.
He is expected to be out of action into the early part of the regular season due to a stress fracture in his left ankle.
Len may not make much of an impact for the Suns this season, but could be a cog in the middle of the paint for many years to come.
