He may have not been ready to make the jump to the next level, but Maryland Terrapins Alex Len has declared for the 2013 NBA Draft. Although Len could have benefited big time by returning for another season, he apparently did not think the same thing, making the dash to the NBA after two seasons with Maryland.
Whether the case, Len will likely be a lottery pick and there is a good chance that he gets drafted in the top 10. There is something about those 7-footers that NBA teams just love, and Len is no exception, standing at 7’1”.
This season, Len only played 26.4 minutes per game on average, but he was still capable of scoring 11.9 points per game and grabbing 7.8 rebounds per game. Just like most 7-footers, Len could use some work on his offensive game, but he is athletic for his size and there is room for improvement in his game.
For whatever reason, Len took eight shots from behind the arc this season and made a grand total of one. If Len could actually get that shot down, he could be great at the next level. There are not a whole lot of 7-footers that can drain threes in the NBA.
With that said, Len will spend the majority of his time in the post on both sides of the court. His 2.1 blocks per game were pretty good and should increase at the next level, considering that he will likely get more playing time and he will only get better and better from this point on.
The Terrapins will miss their center next season, but Len made the decision to go pro early. Time to see how that pans out.
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