The Los Angeles Lakers’ decision to sign Alex Len didn’t go as planned, as they suffered a 131-119 loss to the Utah Jazz, snapping their six-game winning streak.
Len’s final stat line—4 points on 2-of-5 shooting, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 block in 22 minutes—was misleading, as much of it came in garbage time. With Jaxson Hayes sidelined due to a facial injury, Len stepped in but struggled defensively.
According to NBA matchup tracking, the Jazz went 7-of-10 in the paint against Len’s defense. Utah’s Lauri Markkanen and John Collins were particularly dominant, shooting a combined 5-of-5 against him.
Jovan Buha of The Athletic had already expressed doubts before the Lakers signed Len.
“If the Lakers end up with Alex Len, I would not feel comfortable starting Alex Len if Jaxson Hayes goes down,” Buha said on his Buha’s Block podcast. “Alex Len, I think, is like a fringe roster player right now. So, I’m personally not high on the move. I think the Lakers could probably find a better big.”
However, with the trade deadline passed and limited options available, the Lakers took a chance on Len.
“I get it, like optically, if they want to just find their big and add that player, but I don’t think Len is [that guy]. He is pretty much washed at this point, to be honest,” Buha added.
3 Centers the Lakers Should Monitor
The Lakers still have the option to waive a player to sign another center.
“As for what’s next, I think the Lakers have to continue to monitor the center market if Larry Nance Jr., Kelly Olynyk, or Chris Boucher become available,” Buha said. “I think they should waive a second player and add one of those big men.”
John Hollinger of The Athletic noted that the Atlanta Hawks might retain Nance due to his Bird rights. Meanwhile, Olynyk has yet to play for the Pelicans since being included in the Brandon Ingram trade, and Boucher, despite drawing trade interest, remains with the Raptors. The Stein Line reported that there have been no buyout discussions regarding Boucher so far.
For now, the Lakers may have to rely on Len and hope Hayes returns healthy.
JJ Redick Defends Alex Len Amid Criticism
The loss to the Jazz highlighted the Lakers’ thin center rotation despite having LeBron James and Luka Dončić leading the team. With Hayes injured, Len was forced into action but struggled.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick, however, defended Len’s performance, noting the tough circumstances.
“I thought he was fine,” Redick said after the game. “I mean, there’s been a lot of that this year when we just had to put guys in tough spots. We’ve had to put our two-way guys in tough spots, we had to put Alex in a tough spot. He was fine.”
Len admitted he wasn’t familiar with the Lakers’ plays yet.
“It was a crazy 24 hours, just thinking you’re going one place and then coming over here and getting signed,” Len said. “[I] came over here and played a game, just tried to stay in the moment and keep things simple.”
