'Stickum' Sullinger Shines on the Glass

by **bobheckler** Tue Dec 11, 2012 11:13 am

BOSTON -- On a night when Kevin Garnett pulled down zero rebounds for the first time since 1997 -- something he later disputed with considerable passion -- Jared Sullinger's nine rebounds (tied with Rajon Rondo for the
team-high) in the Celtics' 92-79 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on
Saturday stood out a bit more than they normally might have.

It was yet another reminder that Sullinger has not only emerged, but
remained, as one of Boston's most consistent rebounding presences this
season. Though he's had to deal with some of the typical rookie hurdles
-- foul trouble being the most prevalent -- Sullinger has followed
through on his preseason claim that rebounding would be his primary
focus.

"I mean, he rebounds. I don’t know what he has in his hands but it’s
amazing when the ball touches his hands, for the most part it sticks,"
said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. "Maybe he has Stickum, I don’t know. No,
he’s just a terrific rebounder. He’s learning still that there’s a
different pace that you have to play in this league compared to Ohio
State, and we’re on him about it and he’s improving. He’s a smart, smart
kid on the floor."

Sullinger has explained numerous times this
season that he prides himself on doing his work early when it comes to
rebounding. Rather than waiting for a shot to hit the rim and relying on
elite athleticism to try and sky up and secure it, he does what many
NBA players don't: He seeks out a man, plants his admittedly sizable
hindquarters into their midsection and moves them out of the way,
clearing the necessary space to secure the missed shot.

Sullinger's rebounding statistics have improved in accordance with
his consistency. A week ago, his defensive rebounding rate stood at a
very respectable 19.4 percent. As of Monday, that figure has risen to
21.4 percent, still good for second on the team behind only Kevin
Garnett, though the gaps in their numbers (Garnett's current defensive
rebounding rate stands at 25.4), has shrunk as of late.

On top of that, Sullinger boasts the best offensive rebounding rate
of any Celtics player to play at least five games this season at 11.1
percent (Garnett's offensive rebounding rate is 4.2, by comparison).
Though Rivers continues to downplay the importance of offensive
rebounding, if Sullinger can do it in accordance with the team's
defensive philosophy, he'll continue to be a credible weapon for them in
that regard.

"I'm learning. I tell Doc every day I'm learning," said Sullinger.
"I'm a rookie, sometimes you've got to be patient. But, he expects so
much out of me, so I've just got to understand that."

With a solid 20-game sample under his belt, it's clear the Celtics
are expecting the same attention to rebounding from Sullinger for the
remainder of the season. His rookie status won't be ignored completely,
but now that he's proven he can contribute consistently at this level,
he'll be shouldered with more responsibility than most first-year
players are. That's fine by Sullinger, who said Saturday that he isn't
even close to being the player he wants to be.

"Nowhere near close. Nowhere near close," he said. "I'm still
learning. The season's still young. As a team we're still learning, so
we'll see what happens."

bob

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