Sullinger Looks To Celtics' Moment

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/celtics/2015/11/sullinger_looks_to_celtics_moment



Sullinger looks to Celtics' moment


By:  Mark Murphy

Tuesday, November 03, 2015






THREE’S A CROWD: Jae Crowder and forward Jared Sullinger battle San Antonio’s Tim Duncan during their game on Sunday.




There has never been much congruity between the exhibition season and first month of the regular season for Jared Sullinger.

That’s why, when asked about the quality that has marked the power forward’s first three games of the regular season — and the stark difference from his poor exhibition season — Sullinger shrugs off the latter with a simple, “That’s preseason.”

“I just didn’t have a great training camp as far as shooting the basketball,” he said after a 10-point, eight-rebound performance during Sunday’s Celtics loss to San Antonio.

“In order for me to get on the floor, I can do so many other things,” he said. “I’m defending better this year. I can still rebound. But the thing is, I have not been able to knock down a shot. Toward the end of preseason I felt like it was coming back, and that’s just all of the hard work I’ve been putting in this summer.”

Sullinger’s improved defense, and he has been the team’s most physical option thus far against opposing centers, presumably can be written off to his improved training regimen, dating back to work last summer with John Lucas.

He’s also in a contract year. The Celtics went into last night’s deadline without extending Sullinger’s rookie contract, and made the same decision not to act with center Tyler Zeller. Both can become restricted free agents next summer, when the greatest spending frenzy in NBA history is expected to ensue.

The Celtics are simply happy to preserve their flexibility for next summer, and sit back and watch how each player develops, against an especially competitive backdrop.

Celtics coach Brad Stevens has expressed a desire to play only four big men each night, though he has used five in recent matchups, with Zeller drawing the short-minutes straw. Zeller also has struggled in his limited time, though Stevens vowed Sunday to find a way to get his only true center onto the floor.

Sullinger, on the other hand, has thrived with three-game averages of 9.3 points and six rebounds in 19.6 minutes. He’s shot 56.7 percent overall and 33.3 percent from 3-point range. The latter category received a significant boost from his 2-of-4 performance Sunday on 3-pointers.

Though Zeller has started every game, Sullinger has replaced the center as the second-half starter twice. That’s significant, considering the trouble the team has had due to slow starts. Sullinger has been able to boost the performance each time.

“Not really trying to prove anything,” he said. “My main goal is to try to win. It doesn’t matter if I’m starting, or if I’m the last man on the bench.”

It does matter, though, that Sullinger has separated himself in the early going against a big-man field that includes David Lee, Amir Johnson, Jonas Jerebko, Kelly Olynyk and Zeller.

Working in his favor thus far is an ability to guard true centers, and to score against those matchups.

“The thing is, when you have guys who are so worried about Isaiah (Thomas), and they’re so worried about Avery (Bradley) coming off the pin-down, it makes my shots a lot easier,” he said. “So I have time to load it up and try to knock it down. There’s a lot of shots we had (against the Spurs) that were in and out.

“What I did this summer doesn’t stop. I’m constantly in the gym, constantly working on my game. But basketball is basketball. I’ve just started knocking down shots when I’m open.”

Celtics notes

A number of the team’s forwards are off to slow starts from the field, including Lee (.250 field goal percentage), Olynyk (.308) and Jae Crowder (.364). . . .

Marcus Smart (5-for-16) is leading the team in makes and attempts from 3-point range. . . .

Bad starts have doomed this 1-2 team thus far. But Smart offered a solution: “Just move the ball a little bit more. . . . We have to get the ball whipping around the horn and get in the paint.” . . .

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich may be a man of few words on most topics, but his appreciation of Stevens is clear. Speaking about their postgame conversation on Sunday, Popovich said, “I really respect what he does. I’ll still watch his Butler tape, trying to learn some stuff he did there, to be honest with you. I really respect the hell out of him. He’s a really fine young coach — great demeanor. His team executes really well, and they’re just going to keep getting better. So, I enjoy him.”



bob



.

but don't they know Kelly is so good that he has the highest +/- ratio whenever hes on the floor?

Sully really shouild be starting over Lee starting the next game.


If Lee can't provide regular inside scoring as a starter , there is no reason for him to be in there.

Zeller and Amir can handle the center postion against most (but not all ) teams.

Sully deserves the minutes at PF now with the better of Kelly/Lee or Jerebko playing the rest.

Brad needs to find some players who can scroe as starters. It was good to see Bradley taking a bit more lead roll on offense, but we'd still need more.

right now I'd say

Zeller
Sully
Turner
Bradley
Smart

are the best shot at having some type of offense from the starters.

Crowder and his tough defense and floor burn play could work well with IT on the second team.

Add Amir and Kelly witht he secodn team and it has some balance on O and D then.

I hope brad starts to change up the starters and rotaiton some sooner rather than later.

Zeller seems like hes regressed to my eye.

I think before I dumped Lee totally, I'd try to go with;

Lee - C
Johnson - PF
Turner - SF
Bradley - 2G
Smart - 1G

Thomas 1st G off the bench, because somebody on this team has to score. Sully and Kelly in the forward mix from there. Crowder next SF on deck.

I would not have a problem with a Lee and Johnson combo but who runs the pick and role with IT?

This issue only serves to highlight deficiency at the 5.

Dboss

Amir
Sully
Turner/Crowder
Bradley/RJ (for bobc33)
Smart