Cleveland Cavaliers: Larry Sanders Records 3 Blocks In Canton Charge Debut

Cleveland Cavaliers center Larry Sanders recorded 3 blocks for the Canton Charge in his debut.

While the Cleveland Cavaliers rested their Big Three, Larry Sanders was knocking of his rust while on assignment with the Canton Charge. In Sanders’ first game with the team, the Charge had a narrow victory over the Windy City Bulls, winning 104-101.

For those that may have been hoping for a night where Sanders exploded against the competition, showing that he could be more ready to play than anyone realized, tonight wasn’t that type of night. Not really.

Sanders attempted to score from the outset, his shot going wide off the rim after he failed to get a solid enough base to get the shot off with balance. However, he showed solid quickness in pulling that move out of his bag and seems to be interested in becoming a two-way player, not just a rim-protector, for the Cavs.

It was clear from the beginning that on the one hand, Sanders was rusty and will need a bit of time to get back into the flow of the game. On the other hand, once Sanders builds up both his upper and lower body strength, he’ll be a load to handle.

Sanders was capable of establishing himself in the post multiple times and getting a shot off which shows that at the moment he’s strong enough to seal himself inside the paint. When he’s inside, he draws a lot of attention which will be good for the Cavs. Especially if Sanders starts to pass out of those double and triple-teams to find the open man.

Sanders’ strength showed when it came time to box out and fight for rebounds with multiple players trying to clean the glass. Part of the reason he had five fouls and only one rebound was because he was often left to reach over the back of an opposing player in an effort to grab a rebound.

Time after time though, Sanders was in great position to grab a rebound. Part of the reason his rebound total was so low was because both teams were simply hitting their shots.

On the defensive end, Sanders was reading plays correctly and showed that he won’t be a liability on the perimeter.

He moves his feet well and his 7-foot-7 wingspan makes it hard for guards to get around him. Sanders showed his shot-blocking instincts from the outset, always trying to make a play on the ball though he was initially unable to get there in time. He was a bit overaggressive in the beginning in trying to make plays though and earned his first foul trying to block a shot in transition.

Eventually, Sanders was able to string together a few blocks. In the second half, there were a number of shots that went up and were sent back down by Sanders. On one sequence, Sanders missed a sweeping hook on one end that would have probably went in if he slowed down and got himself a little deeper in the post. On the other end, Sanders blocked two shots back-to-back although, unfortunately, the Bulls still managed to grab the rebound.

Sanders last attempt to block a shot in that sequence earned him a foul.

To start the final quarter, Sanders managed to make a play on a pass on the perimeter which is a bonus. Those are the types of plays that can lead to transition points for a team and though this play ended up being a loose ball foul against the Bulls as Sanders couldn’t control the ball and get it to his teammate, the Bulls still ended up giving away the ball.

Sanders debut went better than a stat line of 2 points, 1 rebound and 5 personal fouls would suggest. His 3 blocks were just a few of the blocks he could have had if they play hadn’t been whistled dead simultaneously.

The biggest issues with Sanders are on the offensive end. He’ll have to show he has the conditioning level to consistently set solid screens and improve both his touch around the rim and his ability to get deeper inside the paint. His turnovers are hard to gauge as he hasn’t had much practice with the team. Nonetheless, when he gets his hands on the ball he has to hold onto it.

Sanders should be able to be a game-changer next season though I wouldn’t expect him to be in his prime form. As far as this season, Sanders can get in the game for 10 minutes and anchor the defense while also being a threat to score on the other end. It’ll be interesting to see how he fares for the rest of the Canton Charge’s season.

What did you think of Larry Sanders’ debut with the Canton Charge? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section or Twitter @KJG_NBA.