Canaan: "They feed off all the positive energy I'm trying to give them." Scott Bordow/azcentral sports
Triano: "We turned over too many times, but our defense kept us in it." Scott Bordow/azcentral sports
Suns won their second road game in a row Scott Bordow/azcentral sports
Scott Bordow reviews newcomer Isaiah Canaan's big debut and Alex Len's strong day rebounding. Scott Bordow/azcentral sports
Triano on confidence in newcomer Isaiah Canaan: "He was good in the playoffs last year, so he can play." Scott Bordow/azcentral sports
Suns insider Scott Bordow on Wednesday's loss to Toronto.
Suns insider Scott Bordow recaps Phoenix's loss to the Kings, where the Suns missed Devin Booker in the fourth quarter, in Sacramento on Tuesday.
Suns interim coach Jay Triano talks about what went right and wrong in Phoenix's road loss to the Kings on Tuesday.
Suns point guard Tyler Ulis talks about Devin Booker's absence and learning how to score without him after Phoenix's loss to the Kings on Tuesday.
Triano: Suns just seemed to be a step slower in the first half Scott Bordow/azcentral sports
Chriss: Spurs outworked the Suns in the first half Scott Bordow/azcentral sports
Bordow: Game was lost in first half Scott Bordow/azcentral sports
Suns star Devin Booker talks about his injury prior to Thursday night's game against the Wizards.
azcentral sports' Jay Dieffenbach and Scott Bordow discuss Devin Booker's injury and what it means for the Phoenix Suns.
Mark Faller and Greg Moore discuss the panic the Phoenix Suns are facing with the Devin Booker injury.
Suns insider Scott Bordow recaps a loss to the Raptors in which Devin Booker left injured.
Devin Booker discusses bouncing back from a poor start to pour in 46 points in the Suns' win over the Sixers in Philadelphia.
Suns rookie Josh Jackson discusses a loss to the Pistons in Detroit.
Suns guard Devin Booker discusses his team's win over the Bulls in Chicago on Tuesday.
Milwaukee Bucks point guard Eric Bledsoe discusses his former team ahead of the Suns vs. Bucks game on Wednesday.
Devin Booker discusses an incident with a Lakers coach late in Monday's loss to Los Angeles.
azcentral sports' Jay Dieffenbach and Greg Moore discuss the Phoenix Suns' loss to the Portland Trail Blazers in the first game of the season.
azcentral sports' Chris Cole talks to Suns fans outside of Talking Stick Resort Arena before Phoenix's season opener on Wednesday. Yihyun Jeong/azcentral sports
- Isaiah Canaan on Suns win over Mavs
- Suns coach Jay Triano on win over Mavs
- Bordow on Suns win over Mavs
- Bordow on Suns 'improbable' win over T-Wolves
- Suns coach Jay Triano on win over Timberwolves
- Bordow on Suns' loss to Raptors
- Scott Bordow recaps Suns' loss to Kings
- Jay Triano on Suns' loss to Kings
- Tyler Ulis on Suns' loss to Kings
- Suns coach Jay Triano on loss to Spurs
- Marquese Chriss on Suns lost to Spurs
- Scott Bordow recaps Suns loss to Spurs
- Devin Booker talks about his injury
- Shot Clock: Booker down, Suns back in tank
- Shot Clock: Panic over Devin Booker injury?
- Bordow on Booker injury, Suns loss
- Devin Booker on dropping 46 in Suns' win
- Josh Jackson on his return to Detroit
- Devin Booker after Suns' win over Bulls
- Eric Bledsoe discusses trade from Suns
- Devin Booker on incident with Lakers coach
- Shot Clock: Suns opener goes horribly wrong
- Suns fans: What do they know? Do they know things?? Let's find out
LOS ANGELES – Ask Jay Triano about the bamboo, Alex Len was saying.
The bamboo?
“He talks about watering the bamboo,” Len said. “When you plant a seed the bamboo chute doesn’t grow right away. It takes a long time. Sometimes a couple of months or a year. But once it starts growing it grows really, really fast, almost a foot a day.”
Triano uses the metaphor to help convince the Suns that their hard work will pay off eventually. That’s certainly the case for Len, who is having a career year as he heads into a summer when he’ll be an unrestricted free agent.
“If you choose to bet on yourself like Alex did and play well now you hold the cards for once,” Len’s agent, Michael Lelchitski said. “You get to determine your own fate.”
SUPPORT: Booker, Len among Suns who say they want Triano to remain at helm
That wasn’t the situation this past summer when Len, after testing the market as a restricted free agent, resigned himself to signing a one-year, $4.2 million qualifying offer from the Suns. The outcome wasn’t surprising; Len’s play during the 2016-17 season was such a disappointment he lost playing time to Alan Williams and had more games with five rebounds or less (27) than he did with 10 rebounds or more (19).
But a bamboo seed was planted before this season began. The Suns told Len to forget about jump shots and post moves. As Triano said, “We’re not throwing it into him and asking him to score.” Instead, Phoenix wanted Len to focus on rebounding, defense, protecting the rim and diving to the basket off pick-and-rolls.
The seed sprouted quickly.
Len, 24, is averaging career highs in points (9.3), rebounds (9.4), assists (1.3), field goal percentage (53.7), free throw percentage (77.3) and percentage of available rebounds grabbed (22.1). He ranks fifth in the NBA in screen assists (screens that directly lead to a field goal) and, just 32 games into the season, he already has 10 games with at least double-digit rebounds and only four games in which he’s had five rebounds or less.
In Phoenix’s past two games – wins over Minnesotaand Dallas – Len has scored 26 points with 33 rebounds, 10 assists and two blocked shots. He is playing so well that Triano hasn’t gone back to veteran Tyson Chandler to finish the games.
“I think the game has slowed for him,” Triano said. “Where I think before he caught it and it was bang, bang, bang. I think that’s part of his maturation. He’s become very good, slowing down and letting the game come to him.”
Triano pointed to a play near the end of the Suns’ 108-106 win over the Timberwolves on Saturday. Minnesota’s Jimmy Butler drove to the basket with a chance to tie the game. In past years, an overanxious Len might have jumped into Butler or reached to block the layup attempt, drawing a whistle. Instead, Len went straight up and swatted Butler’s away without being called for a foul.
Alex Len block to keep the game in hand and secure the victory! #SunsAtWolvespic.twitter.com/t3vuXxENPE
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) December 17, 2017
“The verticality play at the end of the game the other night was just a great defensive play that doesn’t get recognized,” Triano said. “He was there and altered the shot against a veteran All-Star who is going to get that call. You have to be extremely clean with how you play it and he was.
“That was probably his best game. Not only did he challenge shots to make them miss but then he was the first one to get it. That’s a huge skill for a center to have. Centers sometimes take themselves out of play trying to contest shots but he’s got good quickness for his size so he’s able to contest and then go get the ball.”
Len’s play – assuming he continues to perform at this level – sets up an interesting summer. First, there’s the question of whether the Suns will want him back. Chandler will have one year left on his contract – if he isn’t dealt before the February 8 trade deadline – and Williams figures to be part of the mix after missing most of this season following knee surgery.
Also, in a league that values shooting and spacing above all, what’s the market for a traditional back-to-the-basket center who isn’t much of an offensive threat? Nerlens Noel, who is one year younger than Len, reportedly turned down a four-year, $70 million offer from the Mavericks following a 2016-17 season in which he averaged 8.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.
One thing is certain: Len will explore his options.
“I would like to be back but I’m definitely going to see what’s out there on the market, no question,” he said.
The bamboo has sprouted.
RELATED: Suns bench comes through again in win over Mavericks
MORE: Isaiah Canaan hopes he can find home with Suns
BIG COMMITTEE: Suns big men Alex Len, Tyson Chandler producing big numbers from center position
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Wednesday's game
Suns at Clippers
When: 8:30 p.m.
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles.
TV/radio: FSAZ/KTAR 98.7 FM.
Update: The Suns have won two straight games thanks to a bench unit that scored 69 points against the Timberwolves on Saturday and followed that up with 55 points in a win over the Mavericks on Monday. Phoenix has yet to win three straight games this season, and the last time it faced the Clippers the result was a 42-point loss that led to the firing of Earl Watson as coach. Los Angeles is without Blake Griffin (knee) but center DeAndre Jordan is averaging 11 points and 14.8 rebounds per game, second in the league.
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