Culture of Hoops

Milwaukee Bucks’ Larry Sanders out with broken orbital bone

Image courtesy of Keith Allison/Flickr.

Image courtesy of Keith Allison/Flickr.

Baller Mind Frame’s No Layups brings you the hottest NBA stories on the web mixed with personal opinion from our very own Aaron Lanton. Check it often and absorb the knowledge we’re dropping on you!

Milwaukee Bucks center Larry Sanders is out indefinitely with a fractured right orbital bone suffered Saturday night against Houston.

It’s the latest in a series of blows this season for the 6-foot-11 Sanders, who signed a four-year, $44 million contract extension in the off-season.

Sanders suffered his latest injury while contesting for a rebound in the first quarter when he inadvertently was elbowed by Rockets guard James Harden.

“It’s really unfortunate because the kid had been playing well,” Bucks coach Larry Drew said of Sanders. “He was starting to play with a rhythm and had played two of his better games this year.”

Sanders had eight points and 11 rebounds against New York one week ago and followed up with a career-high 25 points and 15 rebounds in the Bucks’ loss at Denver on Wednesday.

A Bucks spokesman gave no timetable on Sanders’ return and indicated he would see a specialist Tuesday. Drew said Sanders still was suffering from blurred vision.

“He was starting to get that energy back and that fire and that passion,” Drew said. “But it’s just really unfortunate.” Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel

The most effective tanking tends to be accidental. General managers can take the approach that losing today is better for the organization’s long-term future but players and coaches lose permanently lose their jobs if they take that approach. A few teams who were thought to be bottom-feeders this season have far exceeded even the most optimistic expectations.

On the other hand, some teams with cap space last offseason signed free agents hoping to obtain a playoff berth and instead find themselves in cap hell with an unexpected lottery pick. The Milwaukee Bucks are the best example of this misfortune. None of the signed free agents have produced the numbers that enticed the Bucks to sign them, and Larry Drew has not been unable to get everyone on the right page. Larry Sanders in particular has had a crazy season that includes pet abuse, a bar fight, and a list of nagging injuries. – AL

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