The Milwaukee Bucks selected Virginia Commonwealth power forward Larry Sanders 15th overall in the 2010 NBA draft on Thursday night.
Sanders increased his points and rebounds per game every season while at VCU, but is still considered pretty raw. His offensive game, while getting better, is not NBA-ready at this point. His value lies in his rebounding (9.1 averages last season) and shot blocking (2.6 per contest).
Sanders stands 6'9" and has an incredible 7'5" wingspan, making him a potentially great shot-blocker in the NBA.
There were rumors that the Bucks promised Sanders that they would pick him 15th overall, but the organization denied any such promises. That said, many outlets had Sanders going in the 20's, so there will be talk about the Bucks reaching to get him.
It became pretty clear after GM Hammond traded for Corey Maggette on Tuesday that the team would not be going with a shooting guard in the first round. Nevada guard/forward Luke Babbitt, who was expected to go between picks 10-15, was still available when the Bucks selected, but Hammond went with Sanders, instead.
Sanders could eventually force his way into the starting lineup in the post alongside Andrew Bogut, which would create quite the defensive presence for the Bucks. If Sanders' offensive game can keep improving, the pick would be a solid one for Milwaukee.
But as with a lot of picks in the NBA draft, the Bucks are banking on Sanders' athleticism to turn into basketball ability. It's hit and miss with a lot of post players in this regard, but obviously Hammond sees something in Sanders.
The Bucks still have three picks in the draft, all in the second round (37, 44, 47). Look for the team to possibly trade some of those picks as there isn't a whole lot of space for four rookies on the squad.
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