At the beginning of the season, Bucks rookie Larry Sanders probably did not expect to play a prominent role on a team with four well established, NBA-caliber big men. But, due to injuries and Sanders’ hard work, he has been able to make a substantial impact on a Milwaukee team struggling to stay afloat in the competitive Eastern Conference.
Following a mediocre start, the Bucks are a dismal 2-8 in their last ten games, dropping six of seven to end the month of November. Their struggles are due in large part to injuries to key frontcourt players Andrew Bogut (back) and Drew Gooden (foot), both of whom had been staples of Milwaukee’s starting lineup. Coupled with forward Carlos Delfino’s neck injury, which has kept him out of the lineup since November 6, and less than impressive play from forwards Luc-Richard Mbah a Moute and Ersan Ilyasova, the door has been opened for Sanders to prove to head coach Scott Skiles that he is NBA-ready.
Sanders, the 15th pick in the 2010 draft out of Virginia Commonwealth University, was lauded for his defensive prowess, rebounding, and shot blocking at the college level. The 6’11, 235 pound Sanders averaged 14 points, 9 rebounds and two blocks per game his junior season en route to being named the Colonial Athletic Association’s Defensive Player of the Year, an honor he received the previous season as well.
Some questioned Sanders’ decision to forgo his senior year at VCU, as his offensive game was still a work in progress, and scouts asserted that he relied too much on his athleticism to score, rebound and block shots. While that may have been the case, recently he has found a way to be effective in a league where rookie big men often flounder.
In Milwaukee’s first 13 games Sanders rarely saw the floor, playing more than ten minutes just once, and recording more fouls (11) than points (10). While his rookie season may not have started out as he had hoped, the aforementioned injures to Bogut, Gooden and Delfino have left the Bucks severely thin at the forward positions, and Sanders has been forced to mature quickly.
He has done nothing short of that, averaging better than eight points and six rebounds per game over the last seven contests, receiving significant minutes in all of them. While these are by no means all-star caliber numbers, Sanders has surpassed the expectations of many fans, some of whom predicted he would play the majority of the season in the NBA Developmental League.
Sanders had undoubtedly his best game as a Milwaukee Buck in a Dec. 1 matchup with the Denver Nuggets, recording 14 points, 10 rebounds and eight blocks, all while aiding in limiting Carmelo Anthony to 14 points on 4-of-13 shooting. He has also demonstrated the ability to take care of the ball, committing just four turnovers in the past seven games while shooting an efficient 54 percent from the field. Sanders has become a fan favorite in Milwaukee, often igniting the crowd with hustle plays and thunderous dunks, the latest of which, in Monday night’s loss to Miami, garnered a spot on Sportscenter’s Top 10.
With Andrew Bogut now back in the lineup and Drew Gooden slated to return in the next week or two, Sanders’ minutes are sure to diminish, but he figures to be a key contributor for Milwaukee the rest of the season. If Bogut or Gooden find their way into foul trouble, as is often the case, Sanders has proven to be a worthy replacement. As the season goes on and he gains more confidence, the Bucks hope that he can continue to produce, albeit in a reduced role. The past seven games have served as an audition of sorts for Sanders, and he has shown the league that he will be a force to be reckoned with in the coming years.