The Los Angeles Lakers have epitomized the belief that desperate times call for desperate measures. Anthony Davis now plays for the Dallas Mavericks, Mark Williams is still a member of the Charlotte Hornets, and the Lakers are without ideal options to replace either player at center.
In their moment of desperation, Los Angeles opted to invest in Alex Len—a decision that hasn't yet yielded the results they may have been hoping for.
Len, 31, is a 12-year veteran who has spent time with seven different franchises. His ability to remain employed in the NBA for upwards of a decade is nothing to scoff at and is likely what fueled the Lakers' decision to bring him aboard.
For a team that has otherwise relied on the untapped potential of Jaxson Hayes and players on two-way contracts, Len's veteran presence could be a welcome change of pace.
The issue thus far has been that Len hasn't delivered the value on the court that some anticipated. He struggled mightily during his Lakers debut and played just 10 minutes, failing to score a single point, his next time out.
For as easy as it may be to point the finger at Len, the Lakers and their fans must temper expectations for a career backup on a downward slope.
Alex Len can provide value, but he isn't Lakers' savior
Len has spent an impressive amount of time in the NBA, but his recent seasons have seen him play more on the practice court than in actual games. That includes his pre-Lakers 2024-25 campaign, as he averaged just 7.2 minutes per contest during 36 appearances with the Sacramento Kings.
Unfortunately, that isn't a recent trend that can be explained by a lack of available playing time, but instead a sustained experience.
Len hasn't averaged upwards of 10 minutes per game since 2021-22, when he played 15.9 across 39 appearances. He hasn't produced more than 20 minutes per contest since 2018-19, when he narrowly crossed the finish line at 20.1.
As such, anyone expecting Len to step in and play meaningful minutes must do so with the knowledge that it's been quite some time since he's been able to.
When Len played just under 22 minutes during his Lakers debut, it was an outlier of a performance. It was just the second time all season that he'd played at least 20 minutes in a single game, with the previous outing occurring during a different calendar year on Dec. 26, 2024.
It's even more telling that he's only played a minimum of 10 minutes in nine games during the 2024-25 regular season—and two of those outings were with the Lakers.
Perhaps Redick and the Lakers will be able to bring Len up to speed and make him an important part of the rotation. It's simply unlikely to be immediate, as Len was added to a new team after struggling to find any semblance of consistent playing time up to this point of the season.
Considering the Lakers opted against using Len during what would've been his third game with the team, it's safe to assume Redick has already come to the same conclusion.