In between back-tapping missed shots and setting solid screens, Alex Len found a way to tally a career-high nine points last night while not committing a single foul. While that might only be baby steps for the Suns’ rookie center (he’s only played 12 games), the performance helped kick himself out of the as-many-fouls-as-points (AMFAP) club, at least for now. He has 25 points and 18 fouls for the season.
Good for Len, because the AMFAP club is one usually reserved for elite hackers and the offensively-challenged. There will be outliers since members often experience a majority of their minutes either during garbage time or very short, situational stints. Those with short-term contracts are also vulnerable to being cut from their respective teams before they can work their way out of a club only 12 players are a member of this season.
Those 12 players (via Basketball-Reference):
The current 2013-14 AMFAP club
Player | Team | MP* | PF | PTS | PER |
Greg Stiemsma | NOP | 263 | 46 | 46 | 7.8 |
Louis Amundson | NOP | 184 | 49 | 38 | 9.2 |
Jamaal Tinsley | UTA | 110 | 10 | 9 | 2.0 |
Aaron Gray | TOT | 109 | 30 | 23 | 2.3 |
Peyton Siva | DET | 76 | 11 | 4 | -4.5 |
Hamady N’Diaye | SAC | 74 | 15 | 6 | 2.9 |
Ognjen Kuzmic | GSW | 51 | 11 | 8 | -3.9 |
Earl Watson | POR | 49 | 11 | 2 | -2.8 |
Andris Biedrins | UTA | 45 | 6 | 3 | 2.4 |
Erik Murphy | CHI | 41 | 4 | 4 | -3.2 |
Hasheem Thabeet | OKC | 38 | 10 | 8 | 3.4 |
Mike James | CHI | 38 | 8 | 2 | -4.6 |
* – Minimum 36 minutes played.
260 different players have been in the AMFAP club for at least one season. Five are VIP members, ones who finished their careers with over 1,000 minutes and more fouls than points. Charles Jones is the President after qualifying in 11 of his 15 seasons. He logged over 14,000 minutes with 2,076 fouls and 1,826 points.
Here are some other notable players who finished at least one season in the AMFAP club, sorted by their combined minutes in the seasons they qualified:
Notable AMFAP members
Player | Seasons in AMFAP club | AMFAP Minutes | AMFAP Fouls | AMFAP Points |
Jason Collins | 2007-11 | 4530 | 743 | 519 |
Manute Bol | 1989-92, 1994 | 4215 | 530 | 419 |
Mark Madsen | 2005-09 | 2017 | 360 | 238 |
Dennis Rodman | 1998-2000 | 1046 | 112 | 83 |
Reggie Evans | 2012 | 771 | 118 | 104 |
Juwan Howard | 2008 | 353 | 62 | 57 |
Luc Longley | 2001 | 301 | 51 | 49 |
Vin Baker | 2005 | 204 | 38 | 35 |
Robert Swift | 2005, 2008 | 170 | 32 | 29 |
Tim Legler | 1998 | 76 | 11 | 9 |
There are still 42 games left in the Suns’ season, which gives Len both plenty of time to distance himself from the not-so prestigious club and find himself back in it. Let’s hope it’s the former since the Suns could use extra contributions from everyone while competing without Eric Bledsoe. Heck, if he finishes the season with more points than fouls I’ll celebrate with a ham sandwich.
Last but not least, here are 15 players (not including Len) who are flirting with the AMFAP club:
2013-14 AMFAP close calls
Player | Team | MP* | PF | PTS | PER |
Steven Adams | OKC | 630 | 122 | 164 | 13.0 |
Kendrick Perkins | OKC | 765 | 114 | 134 | 6.4 |
Ian Mahinmi | IND | 611 | 102 | 111 | 8.0 |
Brandon Davies | PHI | 430 | 70 | 91 | 5.8 |
Reggie Evans | BRK | 356 | 50 | 65 | 8.8 |
Phil Pressey | BOS | 468 | 43 | 62 | 7.0 |
Alexis Ajinca | NOP | 203 | 40 | 58 | 13.1 |
Rudy Gobert | UTA | 198 | 33 | 40 | 10.0 |
Gorgui Dieng | MIN | 122 | 30 | 33 | 13.1 |
Meyers Leonard | POR | 140 | 29 | 38 | 10.6 |
Ronnie Price | ORL | 198 | 25 | 37 | 9.8 |
Andre Roberson | OKC | 142 | 22 | 29 | 11.8 |
Jamaal Franklin | MEM | 137 | 18 | 27 | 3.0 |
Ronny Turiaf | MIN | 132 | 15 | 21 | 12.3 |
Joel Anthony | MIA | 37 | 4 | 6 | 8. |
* – Minimum 36 minutes played.
Not listed is Jan Vesely, who’s resembled a professional basketball player this season. He had one of the more exciting AMFAP chases in league history last season. Or something like that.
Also, the AMFAP club could use a more clever name or abbreviation. Recommendations are welcome.
Tagged: Alex Len, Behemoths, Jan Vesely, more fouls than points, Phoenix Suns
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