Re-Drafting the 2013 NBA Draft

118. <p><strong>Original pick: Shabazz Muhammad (traded to Minnesota)</strong></p> <p>Talented 7-footers don’t grow on trees, and that is a good thing for Alex Len.</p> <p>The now 22-year-old center from Maryland hasn’t exactly been dominant during his first three seasons in the NBA, but Len gets a (very) long leash by nature of his pedigree and skill set. He was originally a top-five pick in this class, and while that ship has probably sailed at this point, there are signs of life for Len as a rotation big man.</p> <p>In his “sophomore” campaign in 2014-2015, Len blocked 2.5 shots per 36 minutes and was generally an effective rim protector. Beyond that, his rebounding has always been solid, and you can see the offensive skills (i.e. touch) needed to mature on that end of the floor. However, Len’s shot-blocking tanked along with his overall defensive performance in year three, and that unfortunately coincided with a 48 percent (!) true shooting that would be poor even for a guard.</p> <p>Which is it? I’m not really sure. Len was miscast during the 2015-2016 season as a power forward alongside Tyson Chandler, but questions linger about whether he can legitimately anchor a defense from the center spot. There is room to be encouraged, but the plateau he ran into in his third season tempers expectations for Alex Len, even if his size and pedigree don’t just come from nowhere.</p>. C. Maryland. Alex Len. 14. player