Jared Sullinger signs a contract to play in China, per report

http://www.masslive.com/celtics/index.ssf/2017/09/boston_celtics_rumors_2017_jar_1.html



Boston Celtics rumors 2017: Jared Sullinger signs a contract to play in China, per report



Updated on September 12, 2017 at 9:50 AM Posted on September 12, 2017 at 9:40 AM





Jared Sullinger against the Celtics last season.(AP photo/Charles Krupa)



By Jay King




Former Boston Celtics big man Jared Sullinger's basketball journey will reportedly take him outside the NBA this season for the first time since he entered the league.

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David Pick @IAmDPick
NBA free-agent Jared Sullinger signed a two-month, $300,000 deal in China with the Shenzhen Leopards, source tells me.
11:28 PM - Sep 11, 2017
9 9 Replies   95 95 Retweets   186 186 likes


Sullinger, 25, has experienced a bumpy ride since entering free agency last summer. After the Celtics renounced his qualifying offer, allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent, the big man signed a one-year contract with the Toronto Raptors. When he dealt with injury issues and weight problems there, the team traded him to the Phoenix Suns in February. The Suns waived him and he has not appeared in an NBA game since Feb. 8.

In July, Sullinger said he suffered a "mental breakdown" last season "because for the first time in my life, something didn't work for me."

"I was in tears, I was crying," Sullinger told The Comeback. "Because I just didn't know what I could do to help myself to be a better basketball player, for me to be healthy."

Even while playing most of his career overweight, Sullinger has shown the ability to help a team when healthy. The NBA may be shifting away from slowish big guys who can't shoot, but his rebounding, passing and overall skill set (with the exception of that misguided long-range shot) can still be impactful.


Yet because of persistent weight issues, NBA teams don't feel like they can trust Sullinger. Despite his youth, size and history of production (the big man has averaged 10.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per game for his career), he will need to rehabilitate his image in China to earn another shot.



bob
MY NOTE:  when you can't convince the Brooklyn Nyets to take a chance on you you know your fat ass has hit, and bounced, off of rock bottom.  Good luck to Sully.  He was a warrior for us, although he did pout a bit too much when he was told he wasn't going to start anymore, but that's part of what he's talking about in this article.  He didn't understand what his problem was or even that he had one, so he didn't know how or what to fix.  Still, hard to feel too sorry for a guy who is going to make $300,000 for 2 months work of "rehab".


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cowens/oldschool wrote:Sad didn't even last half as long as Big Baby. It's obvious what he had to do to stay in league and he was all talk.

Cow,

Great BBIQ, which he got from his father, and very, very soft hands for a big.  Damn shame.  I loved watching him be the master of the Mastodon Mamba vs other bigs.  The league is just moving away from bigs like that.  Bigs gotta be able to run now.  They have to be able to do more than just set picks and roll.  They have to be able to hit 3s, but he fell in love with them and forgot all about his inside game.  Can't rebound if you're at the arc, right?  Doesn't matter if you're out there on offense or defense, if you're 20' from the back board it's hard to get the ball and, if you are at the frito line or out, you are supposed to give up on the board and start running down court on the break.  Sully never could run without producing a Richter warning from USGS.

The rumor was that he was in negotiation with the Brooklyn Nyets.  They ended up going with Tyler Zeller instead.  That says it all.


bob


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