Alex Len’s Injuries Becoming A Major Cause For Concern
The fourth quarter was not kind to the Phoenix Suns last night. Not only did the Atlanta Hawks outscore the Suns by a 31-14 margin in the final 12 minutes, but Alex Len also went down as well.
Len injured his ankle yet again in the fourth quarter. The young big man was unable to return to the game and Phoenix was unable to recover because of it.
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Ankle injuries have plagued him early on in his NBA career, especially this season.
Len missed the final three games before the All-Star break because of a bum ankle and he had to sit out last week’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers as well. His timetable to return from this latest setback is uncertain.
Before Len even stepped on a NBA court, he was having issues with ankle injuries.
A few months before the draft, the Maryland product had to have his surgery on his left ankle, which kept him out of action for 4-6 months and hurt his draft stock as a result. Doctors had to go back in and clean up the ankle months later, which prevented Len from playing on the Suns Summer League team in Las Vegas that year.
Mar 11, 2015; Miami, FL, USA; Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez (11) looks on from the bench during the second half against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
These sorts of injuries are problematic to basketball players, but they especially are for big men. When they have them, it seems like they have to battle the problem throughout their careers.
Look at Brook Lopez as an example of that in recent years. Lopez played in every single game during his first three seasons in the league, but he has missed a total of 160 games over his past four.
That’s not to say that Len is going to turn into Lopez, however. The Suns do have arguably the best training staff in all of sports, but there’s only so much they can do in regards to Len.
The most disappointing thing about these ankle injuries with Len is that it hurts his development, which Valley of the Suns does a great job of talking about here. Len has improved drastically in his second season in the league, but it’s hard to develop your game when you are hurt on the sidelines on a consistent basis.
Over the coming days, this organization is going to have to decide what to do with their young big man.
With the Suns three games back of the final playoff spot and a brutal schedule down the stretch, do they shut Len down for the season and look towards next year? Or do they ride it out with him and see if they can sneak into the playoffs?
Whatever that decision ends up being, Len is going to be a crucial part of this team’s success in the coming seasons ahead. He must stay healthy in order for the Suns to reach that next step.
Here’s to that happening.