Charlotte Hornets: Take a Flyer on Larry Sanders?

Jan 19, 2014; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan (21) drives to the basket as Milwaukee Bucks center Larry Sanders (left) defends during the first half at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 19, 2014; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan (21) drives to the basket as Milwaukee Bucks center Larry Sanders (left) defends during the first half at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports /
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Maybe the Charlotte Hornets should try something more unconventional to solve their post problems.

The Charlotte Hornets lost their fifth straight game by getting defeated on the road against the Portland Trail Blazers. There has not been much mystery to this latest Hornets losing streak. The team has clearly missed Cody Zeller and cannot get enough contribution in the post without him. As long as Zeller is out, this will continue to be an issue.

Worse, the Hornets keep sliding lower and lower with their playoff chances with each game under .500 they fall. The trade deadline is nearing. February 23 is the magic date. Of course the Hornets do not have to wait so long to turn things around.

The Hornets brought in Roy Hibbert over the summer to see if he could be the defensive force that he was with the Pacers. The answer has unfortunately not always to the Hornets’ liking. Hibbert’s inconsistency has again pointed to the very real need of the Hornets to get interior help. That kind of help does not generally fall out of the sky.

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This time…maybe it has. Former Milwaukee Bucks center Larry Sanders has announced that he wants to make an NBA comeback. Sanders even has scheduled workouts with the Celtics and/or the Cavs. He fits the build of what the Hornets would need, a defensive stopper at center with little offensive need on the other end. He 6’11, played at 230 lbs, and he is twenty-eight years old at last reckoning.

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The negatives with Sanders are also glaringly obvious. He left the game because of a mix of injury and mental issues. His workout with the Celtics was not great according to reports from Ben Rohrbach of Yahoo Sports. He also may only want to come back and play with a winner, something the Hornets may not represent to him at this point.

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If Sanders were to work out, then the Hornets would have options behind Zeller. Hibbert’s contract could become a trading chip discussion (if it isn’t already) as the Hornets try to make other moves around the deadline. If he doesn’t then at least the team would have explored the possibility relatively cheaply and would not be out too much.