Should Sullinger Be Traded?

If it comes down to Jerebko OR Sully, who should go?  


http://thebostonbackpage.sportsblog.com/posts/2144400/should-jared-sullinger-be-traded-.html






Should Jared Sullinger be traded?


After the All-Star break many Celtics fans went through a roller coaster of emotions. The trading for Thomas was huge but shortly after that it was announced that Jared Sullinger would miss the rest of the season with a stress fracture in his foot. Sullinger had been having a very nice season and I was happy to see how he was progressing. I didn’t hear many people who didn’t like Jared before he got injured. Since the injury I have read a lot of articles that are strongly against Sullinger as a whole. Many people are speculating that the only reason he is back is to get his trade value. Let’s break down every aspect of Sullingers game and see what he does for Boston.


Offense:

Sullinger is not the greatest fit for Brad’s system. Sullinger is a guy who loves to catch the ball in the post and go to work which is not a huge part of Brad’s offense. Even with that said he is averaging 13.5 ppg and has learned to work within the system. Sullinger is becoming a better three point shooter and I don’t think it’s going to be too long before we see a consistent shooter in Sullinger. Last year I published a post that compared Sullinger to Kevin Love. In that post I showed both players stats through their first three years. Their stats were almost identical but Sullinger did not make the huge jump this year that Love did to 20+ point per game in his third year. That being said Love played more games and minutes up to this point in his third year. Sullinger with a three point shot can reach somewhere near where Love is. Another underappreciated part of Sullingers game is how good of a passer he is. Sullinger not only can catch tough passes but he is great at finding cutters for easy layups. His ability to score in so many different ways at such a young age leaves me to believe his ceiling is nowhere near reached.


Defense:

This is Sullingers by far weakest point. He isn’t tall enough to really protect the rim and isn’t quick enough to really get good position. He is a liability at this point in his career but I think if he slims down he can become a much better defender. Honestly this hole in Sullingers game can be fixed by putting a rim protector next to him.


Rebounding:

Sullinger is a great rebounder. He is averaging 7.9 rpg and is a load to handle on the glass. Sullinger has a great pair of hands and it never gets old watching him out position another player and come up with a huge offensive rebound. Sullingers mix of strength and smarts allows him to be a great rebounder.


Other:

Sullinger is a player who you need when it comes to playoff time. For a team that does struggle to score at times Sullinger is guy you can throw the ball into when you need a score. Pair that with his determination as a player and Sullinger will be load to deal with once fully recovered.

So Should Jared Sullinger be Traded? The answer to that question is pretty obvious to me, no. Just watching yesterday’s game against the Cavs should silence some of the critics. In the 4th quarter Sullinger controlled the glass on both ends and really put his stamp on the game from that respect. Sullinger is one of my favorite Celtics. Against teams you don’t expect him to play well against he finds a way to go toe to toe with some of the best power forwards in the league. Sullinger has a mix of talents that you don’t find every day. His ability to rebound and score makes him a great asset to any team. Yes, his defense is not very good but Danny can find a way to plug a rim protector next to him and all those worries are gone. Sullinger hasn’t even come close to his ceiling and Sullinger needs to be part of this young team moving forward.



bob



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I say yes...even up for N. Noel, thank you!!

of course that won't happen, so.......I can't decide until I see what the trade is for.

some will say to move up in the draft to get WCS would be a good deal.

one other note.

I feel it's not Sully or Jerebko but its Sully or Bass.

No, please do not trade this guy at least until after next year.

This guy can be an all-star player if he is kept much closer to the basket on offense. He has great hands and plenty of moves around the rim to be a 20 points per game scorer. He, of course, needs to get into good enough shape to be about to play 33 minutes per night at a high level without having to take 5-8 minutes off to rest as part of these 33 minutes.

He also needs to be reeled in from even thinking about taking 3s as he does not shoot them well enough to take them, will get more rebounds on offense if he is closer to the hoop, will draw more fouls if nearer the hoop, will shoot more foul shots per game by drawing the additional fouls, etc. 20 points and 10 rebounds per game is not out of this guy's capabilities if he hangs near the basket all season.

The only reason that I would think of trading him would be if the Cs just do not think that playing him exclusively nearer to the hoop will work as part of their 'space and pace' desired offensive philosophy.

I'm jumping on the Jonas bandwagon. I like the way he plays and how active he is. Lots of good points for Sully but I don't think he fits in with what Brad is trying to do.

I like Sully, but I like Jerebko more, so I voted to trade Sully. I really hope it doesn't come down to trading one or the other.

Berlin-T

I know this is taking the easy way out, but to answer the question of whether Sullinger should be traded, I would have to say yes and no.
I don't think Sullinger is s great fit for what Brad is trying to do with the Celtics, but his trade value is at an all time low right now. Maybe see if he can get into better shape and trade him early next season...???

The article mentions that Sullinger is a great rebounder.  Funny how greatness gets spread around.  He is a very good rebounder but he is not a great rebounder.

His post game is ok but he plays below the rim and does struggle to get his shot off.

I have seen no evidence that he will be a reliable 3 point shooter.  He is a career .275 from behind the arch and this year he is shooting .283.  

His biggest weakness is on defense where his lateral movement is slow.  He cannot block shots and his transition from offense to defense is slow.

So the answer is yes the Celtics should trade him when a deal comes up that makes sense for them.  I agree with TJ regarding getting him I better shape.  If the Celtics make the playoffs this may be Sully's last chance to prove that he is committed to improving.

Danny Ainge should not have publically aired the dirty laundry.  Danny waived the same red flag that was waived before they drafted him.  The challenge for Boston is to rehabilitate Sullinger's image.  But that can only happen is he plays and plays well.

dboss

Hi,
There are so many "ifs" that I doubt you can answer this question straight up. But I managed to. So far, I'm the lonely NO.
My main concern is his weight and related condition of his bones.

AK

As much as I hate to acknowledge it, the Celtics' style of play has been a deliberate one since Sully's arrival and until the recent surge.  It would be difficult to imagine a situation more conducive to the success of a guy whose merits are pretty much based on toughness.  However, when one takes into account the extended discontinuities Jared has faced in his pro career, I'd say he's well behind many of his peers in terms of getting extended opportunities to establish a professional identity and to optimize a portfolio of personal assets that would position him as trade bait.

So I can't vote on this one.  Trading him in the near future would almost certainly involve operating from a position of weakness rather than strength.

Moreover, I'm not at all certain it would boil down to Sully or Jerebko staying with the Celtics.  Jerebko, along with Thomas and Crowder, form the nucleus of a high-chemistry, two-way bench that it would be difficult to duplicate—especially when one considers their pay scales.  When one considered value for the money, I'd say there's every reason they should be more likely keepers than many of their teammates.  I realize that a team doesn't build around a bench; but it's undeniable that the bench has produced more consistently than the starters during the past couple of months.

So I'd say the choice between staying and going is less likely to come down to Sully vs. Jerebko than to come down to Sully vs. Olynyk.  Earlier in the season, I wouldn't have had to think more than a minute of two before assuming Sully should stay and Kelly should go.  Now, however, I'm more torn.  Not because Sully has regressed but more because of the way in which Kelly has progressed.  Even on defense.

I still say that the top half of Kelly sometimes has no idea what the bottom half is doing, and they sometimes seem to be going in different directions.  And defensive agility is pretty much a no no in the cases of both Sully and Kelly.  However, it seems to me (especially since I had an opportunity, while at yesterday's game, to isolate on Kelly for a while) that Kelly's defense has improved the way he improved his offense last season.  The guy has a knack for using his smarts to overcome his deficiencies.  He'll never be a defensive star; but I'm coming to believe he could benefit more than Sully could by operating next to an intimidator.  (I'm counting on Danny to bring in the intimidator, one way or another this off-season.)

To the extent that either Sully or Kelly plays the center position now, I believe it's pretty much a waste of evaluation time because I don't expect it to be their long-term position.

Finally, I just want to mention that television often tends to make it look like people are fatter than they usually are.  Well, yesterday, when I watched Sully in person, he's an exception to that rule.  He looked (let's just say) more pleasantly plump than on television.  I swear there was one time I wanted to look at the Celtics bench, but his ass was in the way.

So, right now, despite the best intentions of this poll, I believe the choice will more likely be between Sully and Kelly than between Sully and Jerebko.  As to which of the two (Sully or Kelly) would go, it depends on a lot of things, including other players who might be acquired.

Sam

Ko is ahead of Sully right now and he seems to be playing better. But Better is a relative term. His defense has improved somewhat because he is doing a better job of reading the offense and is anticipating things a lot quicker.

KO seems to fit into Brad office better than Sully.

Both of them have post defense issues. Neither can play at the 5 effectively.

I think both will be traded within a year or 2.

dboss

Definitely would not trade him now. As others have pointed out, his value is probably low right now. Also, it's too early to tell. It's funny how a few words by Ainge that get repeated by a dozen reporters influence so many. Before those comments, most would have said Sully is a keeper - now most want him gone. Makes me wonder if Ainge has already made up his mind, and intentionally manipulated the media/fanbase to get behind a Sully trade....

p.s. No need for anyone to respond that they had been questioning Sully even before Ainge's comments - I don't remember who said what, nor do I want to call anyone out, I'm just stating a trend I noticed.

I voted "yes." Why? Sully just isn't a good fit in Brad's system. He lacks mobility and athleticism and is pretty much dead weight at this point since he isn't a great post defender and can't shot the 3 well enough to consistently stretch the defense. Hate to say it, but I think it should be done.


KJ

the guy we should get rid of is Olynck

Sam,

That is a big swing on your opinion of Olynyk.

Let me ask you, is it more that Olynyk has really improved in your eyes or that Sullenger has disappointed so much?

I am kind of torn between them. I like Sullenger more IF he was stationed nearer to the hoop on offense all the time to much better utilize his personal strengths. I like Olynyk more in Stevens' 'pace and space' offensive system. Neither play very good defense, but Sullenger is not a bad center when other teams use a small lineup.

I do have a feeling that one (or maybe both) guy could be gone before next training camp arrives.

Clyde,

You're absolutely right; it is a big swing on my part.  Because I believe there has been at least a reasonable swing on his part.  I believe his offensive skills fit neatly into Brad's system (even though that system features three-point shooting of which I'm not enamored).

I like to focus on certain players during games, and Kelly has been one of my "subjects"—especially on defense.  I believe he's working hard on moving his feet better and to play defense more with his body and less with his hands.  Moreover, when he's defending this season, it's never when my idea of a defensive intimidator is beside him.

While I don't believe he has the physique to become an upper echelon defender, I'm trying to reconcile (1) what I think his defensive responsibility might be alongside an intimidator with (2) what he has the capability to provide.  He's not there yet; but I'm hoping the same smarts with which he hones the rest of his game will be brought to bear on an improving defense.

Kelly has shown signs of greater aggressiveness now that the team as a whole has gone in that direction.  And I firmly believe that aggressiveness at both ends will be a staple of the Celtics as they move forward.

Finally, I believe that Kelly's inside-outside-penetration trio of offensive capabilities will provide flexibility for Brad's schemes regardless of what the strengths and weakness of the intimidator will be.  I'm coming to think that Sully's more of a one trick pony. Nice trick, but perhaps a little limiting in five-man combinations.

So, for better or worse, that's some of my reasoning for a change (not a commitment, but a palpable change) in my feelings about Kelly.

Besides, he has the hair I lack.  I'm hoping we can work out a deal.  He pulls out his hair by the roots and goes for the bald look, he gives me the hair for implantation, and I show him how to guard 5' 7" guys.  A really useful knack in today's NBA. 

Sam