# Jared Sullinger watch.



## Bogg (May 4, 2009)

http://bostonherald.com/sports/celtics_nba/boston_celtics/2013/11/sully_shapes_up_as_score_de_force



> It wasn’t all that long ago — although a week in the NBA can be measured in dog years — that Celtics coach Brad Stevens said he couldn’t use Jared Sullinger in long stretches because of his conditioning.
> 
> Stevens saw just how far along the second-year big man has come, even after missing a game due to a bone bruise, last night in the Celtics’ 109-96 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers at the Garden.
> 
> ...


He's been playing at a high level since coming back, but there are still lingering injury concerns with him that already are costing games. I don't think that he's ever going to be a star (I see him as a more in-shape Glen Davis), but he's looking very solid. I'd have no problem with him playing out his rookie deal here, but I wouldn't be surprised if he wound up a hot name at the trade deadline.


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## RollWithEm (Jul 16, 2002)

He has better post moves than Glen Davis, but other than that... pretty good comp.


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## Bogg (May 4, 2009)

RollWithEm said:


> He has better post moves than Glen Davis, but other than that... pretty good comp.


Honestly, Davis has really good footwork. His biggest problem was that his height and weight made it very hard for him to finish inside once he made the move.


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## Bogg (May 4, 2009)

Jared's looking pretty decent on an admittedly bad team so far. Posted a 19-17 against the Spurs last night and is averaging around 12 and 7 in only about 20 minutes a game. It'd be very interesting to see if he could keep up the production with an increased minute load. If he can be a 15/9 guy in starter's minutes he'd be legitimately valuble.


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## jayk009 (Aug 6, 2003)

Am I the only one that's been dissapointed with Sullinger so far?

His stats seem fine for the minutes he's playing but why the f is he taking so many 3's a game?

Maybe it's part of steven's game plan but still, it's discouraging to watch a guy that should be in the paint , bombing 3's at a very low rate.


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## E.H. Munro (Jun 22, 2004)

Boston doesn't have guards that can shoot from outside 12', so the forwards have to shoot from the perimeter. Regardless of whether or no they're falling.


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## Bogg (May 4, 2009)

jayk009 said:


> Am I the only one that's been dissapointed with Sullinger so far?
> 
> His stats seem fine for the minutes he's playing but why the f is he taking so many 3's a game?
> 
> Maybe it's part of steven's game plan but still, it's discouraging to watch a guy that should be in the paint , bombing 3's at a very low rate.


I'm fine with Jared taking long jumpers, it's partly by design (like EH said) and partly him expanding his game. Olynyk and Faverani are both well over a three attempted a game as well. Frankly, the team's actually playing above my expectations, so if Stevens wants to experiment some and make some atypical decisions I'm not going to question him. He's turned Jordan Crawford, of all people, into a fairly legitimate starter, so he gets some leeway.


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## zanshadow (Jun 26, 2013)

Sullinger indeed is a joy to watch these days. He's a banger that's not afraid to make contact. Even much taller Roy Hibbert was greatly bothered by his body fat.

His ceiling might not be allstar high but I think he's one of those players who makes life easier for those around him.


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## Bogg (May 4, 2009)

http://bostonherald.com/sports/celtics_nba/boston_celtics/2014/02/celtics_notebook_jared_sullinger_still_has_room_to_grow



> Jared Sullinger put together his ninth double-double since Jan. 2 with yesterday’s 21-point, 12-rebound performance in the Celtics’ 96-89 win over the Orlando Magic.
> 
> It would seem that despite a left hand bruise, a dislocated right index finger and the odd flagrant foul, the forward has been on a straight track to his appearance in All-Star weekend’s Rising Stars Challenge.
> 
> ...


Jared's up to averaging 13 and 8 in only 27 minutes a night on the season. He's having a nice bounce-back year after last season's back surgery and just might become something of a core player (not a star, but a steady contributor) in the next generation of Celtics basketball.


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## Rick2583 (Mar 17, 2014)

Bogg said:


> Honestly, Davis has really good footwork. His biggest problem was that his height and weight made it very hard for him to finish inside once he made the move.


 His other problem was when he started to think he was a jump shooter. When he started taking 12-15 shots a game from 15+feet out he lost the part of his game that made him valuable, His inside game.


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## RollWithEm (Jul 16, 2002)

Rick2583 said:


> His other problem was when he started to think he was a jump shooter. When he started taking 12-15 shots a game from 15+feet out he lost the part of his game that made him valuable, His inside game.


He's definitely still jacking up long balls. Somebody has to give him the old Charles Barkley advice - don't shoot the ball unless you have paint under your feet.


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## Rick2583 (Mar 17, 2014)

RollWithEm said:


> He's definitely still jacking up long balls. Somebody has to give him the old Charles Barkley advice - don't shoot the ball unless you have paint under your feet.


 For him that would be great advice.


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## Bogg (May 4, 2009)

RollWithEm said:


> He's definitely still jacking up long balls. Somebody has to give him the old Charles Barkley advice - don't shoot the ball unless you have paint under your feet.





Rick2583 said:


> For him that would be great advice.


Short jump shots aren't the worst thing in the world for him - he's not a _miserable_ shooter and with him being a bit short and not very......"vertically mobile", he's going to get quite a few shots blocked under the rim.


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## Rick2583 (Mar 17, 2014)

Bogg said:


> Short jump shots aren't the worst thing in the world for him - he's not a _miserable_ shooter and with him being a bit short and not very......"vertically mobile", he's going to get quite a few shots blocked under the rim.



I've only seen him play in 2-3 games since he left the Celtics but speaking of under the rim, there was another problem he had that even Garnett got on him for. And that was instead of going straight up with it he'd put it on the floor & more often then not get it slapped away. I liked his INSIDE game but sometimes the guy was just tough to watch.


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## Bogg (May 4, 2009)

Don't look now, but Sullinger's averaging over 16 and 8 and shooting 35% from three-point-land on 4 attempts a night. If he keeps this up I'll talk myself into him being a long-term starting big if Boston can put a springy rim protector behind him.


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## Rick2583 (Mar 17, 2014)

I hope the Celtics will end up signing this kid long term, he's a keeper.


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## Bogg (May 4, 2009)

Rick2583 said:


> I hope the Celtics will end up signing this kid long term, he's a keeper.


The only way I don't see him getting an extension with Boston after his rookie deal, especially if he keeps this up, is if he gets put into a larger package for a star player somewhere. If this recent shooting streak is real I may have been wrong on him and his ceiling. You'd still need a strong defender next to him, though.


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## Bogg (May 4, 2009)

Sullinger returned to the lineup last night, albeit in very limited minutes, which was surprising to me - I figured his season was over after the fracture in his foot. Supposedly he's already dropped 10-15 pounds, which makes me think all the "my body type doesn't drop weight" talk out of him wasn't anywhere near true, and he just needed to watch what he eats. I don't figure he'll be playing much down the string, but simply getting him out there on a nightly basis and removing the "was shut down for the season" tag from him heading into the offseason trade market would be a big plus.


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