Larry Sanders was so incredibly tasty during the 2012-2013 fantasy season.
He was so good. In a lot of ways amazing. The F/C was a regular drop/add for me throughout the year, coming on board to pile up double-doubles and blocks and games where he just went off – that triple-double on Nov. 30 where he put up 10 Pts, 12 boards and 10 blocks and a 17-20-2 on Dec. 21. He also had a stretch from Feb. 20-April 5 where he had double-digit rebounds in 18 out of 23 games.
And on Feb. 19 at 8:44 p.m., I added him for keeps in a transaction that vaulted the Punk Rock Gods to the Floor Generals League Championship.
In a similar way, Col. Sanders is so incredibly tasty all the time.
His chicken is so good. In a lot of ways amazing. I see it and smell it and I can’t wait to get his original recipe of 11 herbs and spices in my belly. Even if I just drive by one of his KFCs, I get this uncontrollable urge to plunge my car through traffic to get there and once again bask in his artery-clogging bliss.
But there’s something about the Colonel that gives me pause. It’s the same feeling that gave me pause about Larry heading into last year. It’s why I didn’t draft him. It’s why I drop/added him all year.
I always got the sense that Larry was going to give my team the same awful rumble-in-the-tummy once he stuck around for a while. The massive crapfest was inevitable, just like the nuclear maelstrom of poop that rains down every single time I enjoy the Colonel’s brand. I never learn.
So before he could go on the dumper, or after he’d get injured (he had a few bumps and bruises during ’12-13), I’d drop Larry and use his roster spot to wheel other guys in and out as needed. But then I’d always see him out on the wire or someone else’s team, doing what he’d been doing all year, and I’d realize that, unlike Col. Sanders, Larry was a safe bet. In fact, he ended up being a can’t-miss wager, finishing third in the Most Improved Player voting.
And that feeling continues heading into the 2013-2014 season. He’ll reportedly be working out with Pacers stud Paul George before training camp, and no doubt the winning edge that took Indiana to the Finals last year will be part of that learning experience. Last month, he attended USA Basketball’s National Team Mini-Camp, and according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, he’s coming back with a renewed sense of leadership as the key guy on a very young Bucks team. Sure, they got worse by sending away Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis, but on the Fantasy Bright Side, more bricks means more offensive boards. Gotta find a silver lining somewhere, right?
OK, let’s cut the bull, the Bucks are going to stink on ice. But Larry Sanders is going to shine. I see no reason why he can’t bump that 9.8 ppg and 9.5 rpg up to a double-double per game, with the points even getting into the mid-to-upper teens. The blocks should hold steady as well, although he might not be as active defensively if he’s asked to do more on the other end. Two stuffs per night is a lock, but I’m not expecting more than three.
Some might have heard the news that Larry twisted an ankle during Team USA Workout, and they might have seen the video where Larry gets dunked on by his toddler.
But make no mistake. When Larry Sanders takes the court on opening night in Milwaukee, gameday bucket go boom.
