Milwaukee is expecting much from young Bucks, including Brockman

ST. FRANCIS, Wis. -- Brandon Jennings, Andrew Bogut and most of the Milwaukee Bucks players will be returning this week as informal workouts begin at the Cousins Center training facility, with the start of training camp about three weeks away.

But a few players already have been working out, including rookie forward Larry Sanders and second-year forward Jon Brockman. They have been putting in time with coaches Kelvin Sampson, Bill Peterson and Adrian Griffin.

"I definitely want to get some conditioning in," Sanders said after a recent workout. "I don't want to use training camp to get in shape. And it's good just to get settled here in Milwaukee."

The 6-foot-11 Sanders made a solid showing in the Las Vegas summer league as he averaged 14 points, 8.4 rebounds and 3.2 blocks in five games with the Bucks squad.

Sanders perfectly fit the profile of a young, athletic big man the Bucks needed. Milwaukee addressed the need by selecting Sanders with the 15th overall pick in the June draft and later bolstered the front court by trading for small forward Corey Maggette and signing veteran free agent power forward Drew Gooden, who finished last season with the Los Angeles Clippers.

"We're versatile up front," Bucks coach Scott Skiles said. "It will be interesting to see how it plays out. I knew we had to get bigger, longer and right now I feel we were able to do so. We'll see who fits in where."

Sanders knows he is joining a 46-victory team that has even greater aspirations this season, so he simply wants to be ready.

"I've been working on everything, from my ball handling to touch around the basket," the former Virginia Commonwealth player said. "I see myself not so much as a big man but as a bigger player. I play basketball."

Peterson works on fundamentals of dribbling, passing and shooting in the daily drills with the early arrivals, a group that also has included guards Keyon Dooling and Chris Douglas-Roberts.

"Scott runs a certain type of program," Peterson said. "He wants guys to come in and work every day. We're not just going to come in and shoot some shots and hang out, 'Let's make 150 jumpers and go home.' That's not happening. You set a tone."

Sanders didn't play organized basketball until he was a sophomore in high school in Port St. Lucie, Fla. But he quickly developed an affinity for the game and became a top defensive player and shot blocker at Virginia Commonwealth.

"Larry has such great potential," Peterson said. "He's going to have a really good jump hook some day. He has great length; he has a soft touch. He's got to be comfortable doing it (the hook shot). He just hasn't shot it that much."

Sanders is eager to begin his NBA career while understanding he has plenty to learn from his teammates and coaches.

"If I just bring energy, that will be a lot of what coach Skiles wants me to do this year," Sanders said. "I want to bring energy in practice, try to push myself and my teammates. I want to play defense and block shots and run as hard as I can, things like that."

The 6-foot-7 Brockman played in 52 games for Sacramento last season and made four starts. The Bucks acquired him in a July trade with the Kings.

"Jon Brockman brings great energy," Peterson said. "He's a sound fundamental guy, a workhorse guy. He will be Scott's kind of guy.

"We've got to get him a little better handling the ball and shooting the ball at medium range to where he's more consistent, at knocking down the 15- to 18-footer when he comes off a pick-and-roll."

Brockman said he figures coming in early is time well spent as he learns the ins and outs of the Bucks organization.

"This is a real critical time," the former Snohomish High School and University of Washington player said. "You've got to learn the system and learn the people you're working with. It's getting comfortable and making sure when it's time for just basketball that I'm ready."