Boston Celtics Center Solutions: Larry Sanders
For my last entry in the Boston Celtics Center Solutions series I have concocted here at Hardwood Houdini, I focused on Omer Asik of the Houston Rockets. Personally, I feel Asik should be the rim-protector that the Celtics try to pull off a trade for . . . but a few readers made a case for Larry Sanders of the Milwaukee Bucks.
THE Larry Sanders who busted his thumb in a night-club altercation and missed all but 23 of the Bucks’ 82 games last season? THE Larry Sanders who was given a five-game suspension for violating the NBA’s drug policy at the end of this season? THIS Larry Sanders?
Yep – THAT Larry Sanders! Oh boy – I’ve got my work cut out for me.
To help, I enlisted the aid of Nick Whalen, editor over at FanSided’s Behind the Buck Pass. Here’s what he had to say about Milwaukee’s young buck:
"I’m willing to call the 2013-14 season a wash for LarrySanders. Yes, he made some undesirable headlines off the court. And yes, hewasn’t overly impressive on the court, but he was never able to really get intoany sort of rhythm.Three games into the season, he suffered the infamousnightclub thumb injury and didn’t return until just before the new year. Atthat point, it was clear Milwaukee was on a crash course with the high-lottery,and Larry Drew’s rotations had reached all-time levels of questionability. WhenSanders returned, he was playing sporadic minutes and finding himself on thefloor with different teammates each night. Still, he managed some veryrespectable defensive and rebounding numbers.The biggest concern, unsurprisingly, was on the offensiveend. Due in part to the thumb injury, Sanders showed little-to-no improvement shootingthe ball. Like most 6-11 players, he can finish at the rim, but outside of therestricted area he’s an unmitigated disaster. In the offseason, the hope wasthat he’d expand his range to 10-15 feet – just enough that he could knock downoccasional open looks. But even in a small, 23-game sample size it wasabundantly clear that Sanders hadn’t improved his offensive game.Going forward, Sanders has a ton to prove. Not only does he have to prove he’s moved past theoff-court issues that damaged his image last season, but he also must live upto the expectations bestowed on a player earning $11 million per year. SigningSanders to a four-year, $44 million deal last summer seemed like the right moveat the time. But in hindsight, locking Sanders up could be more detrimental tothe Bucks’ salary situation in the long run. The thought seems to be thatSanders is available for the right price this offseason, but taking on $44million in guaranteed money is a daunting proposition for most franchises. Forthat reason, I find it hard to believe Sanders won’t begin next season in aBucks uniform."
Could Sanders develop into one of the league’s elite defenders? Possibly. But is he worth $44 million in guaranteed money? With the amount of baggage he carries, and with the limited offensive game he brings to the table? Probably not. He’s certainly worth watching during the 2014-2015 season, but there is no way the Boston Celtics should make a play for this kid during the current offseason.