Sullinger hops on 'dinosaur' train

Smokey the Swag Bear talking it up. I gotta say, you have to be VERY confident and secure, and be accepted as if you were already a solid veteran in the league, to show up as a 21st pick and refer to Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce as "dinosaurs" and NOT have them blow you out of the water.



http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/celtics/post/_/id/4698113/sullinger-hops-on-dinosaur-train




BOSTON -- Celtics coach Doc Rivers might have anointed Jeff Green the biggest standout of Boston's preseason, but not far behind was rookie Jared Sullinger, who turned more than a few heads with his steady play, consistent
rebounding and overall court presence that seemed well beyond his years.


Boston felt it had a steal when it drafted Sullinger with the 21st
overall pick in the 2012 draft after he fell due to concerns over his
back (there hasn't been an instance of back-related trouble for
Sullinger), and so far, the Ohio State product has the C's feeling good
about their investment.



Sullinger averaged 10.9 points and 7.0 rebounds in 26.1 minutes over
the eight-game exhibition schedule, jumping in and out of the starting
lineup for its entirety. He shot an impressive 56.1 percent from the
field and proved to be a reliable free throw shooter, knocking down 84.6
percent of his looks from the stripe.



And though the stats are lofty, more notable were his comfort level
on the court and his ability to pick up the Celtics' system faster than
some of Boston's other new additions who have been in the league for
multiple years. He played alongside the likes of Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, rarely missing a beat as they worked together, executing looks on offense and securing stops on defense.


Though he's been studying the game his entire life, Sullinger said he was surprised he found consistent minutes so quickly.



"I mean, we've got a lot of guys that have been in the league for a
long time. A couple dinosaurs, but I'm not going to point them out,"
Sullinger joked. "But, yeah, I'm surprised. I'm very surprised. But that
comes with hard work and dedication to the game and just never cheating
yourself."


In some instances, the little things stood out
with Sullinger -- the quick outlet passes, going right up for a layup
without hesitating after receiving a pass and finding the correct
positioning around the basket in accordance with where his teammates
were lined up. It all adds up to a rookie who doesn't play like a
rookie, and he's managed to make an impact both on the floor and in the
locker room.


"He's still got a lot of work, but he does a lot of good things,"
Rivers said of Sullinger. "He has a veteran mind, does not play like a
young guy, except for he makes rookie fouls, he does things, and that's
why he had the foul trouble. But he's just a good spirit and it's good
to have him in the locker room."



Sullinger has caught the attention of the Celtics' elder statesmen
-- or dinosaurs, as he playfully refers to them. Though Garnett has a
strong history of embracing his team's young players, he seems to have a
true appreciation for what Sullinger has been doing.



"His IQ of basketball is very high, very good hands and his work
ethic. I always say, young guys come off, sometimes, entitled. He’s very
gullible. I mean that in a good way," Garnett said last week. "Young
guys, you want to see that. He works very hard. He’s very attentive. He
wants to be better. I feel like sometimes young guys come in and have
the whole entitlement across their chest. This kid is coming in and
working his [butt] off and trying to be better. I’m giving him the book,
teaching him everything I know."



As far as Sullinger is concerned, listening to and learning from his veteran teammates is a common sense move.



"When you see guys that have been in the league for 10 years, for,
some cases 17 to 18 years, 15 years, if you listen to them, I mean, you
should be fine. They've seen it all," he said. "Different generations of
basketball for some people. I'm not going to say no names, but you've
seen it all, so when you listen to them, they're only trying to help
you. There's nothing negative about it. Everything is positive. They're
trying to help you."



Sullinger should prove to be a factor for the Celtics this year, as
either a starter, a bench commodity or a hybrid of the two. His talent
for offensive rebounding -- something Boston doesn't have a wealth of --
can't be ignored, and as long as he maintains that steady and mature
level of play, he easily could emerge as a consistent bright spot for
Boston this season.




bob



.

Just watching him up close the other night, it was amazing the way he positions himself, is not afraid of anyone on the court. He will fight a seven footer for a rebound, and sometimes manage to get free throws for someone going over his head to try to just pull the ball away from him. He is alert all the time on the court.

There was one play where KG found him cutting to the basket, threw the ball over his head to him and he had an easy layup. A beautiful play, showing that the vet's have confidence in this kid.

It is going to be fun to watch him grow on this team

Rosalie