Sully Proving Worthy of Starting Job

BROOKLYN, NY — When Jared Sullinger slipped down to the
Boston Celtics on draft night, there was a sense that the C's were
stealing a top-10 talent.

Not only has Sullinger proven himself
worthy of being a regular in the starting rotation, but he's taken a
step further and has positioned himself to be a starter.

Celtics coach Doc Rivers has not decided whether to start Brandon Bass or Sullinger at power forward.

But the more Rivers talks about that position, the more he sounds like a
man who at the very least is leaning towards giving the starting nod to
Sullinger.

When asked whether he likes Sullinger with the
starters, Rivers said, "I do. I don't know if that's the way I'm going
to go, but I do like that.


Rivers added, "and I like Brandon with the second unit because he gives us another scorer, a guy who can play."

The evolution of Sullinger from the disappointment of draft night into a
potential starter for a title contender as a rookie, speaks volumes
about how he has taken all the criticism and questions about his health
and responded with the only thing he can to silence them - play great
basketball.

"He still has a lot of work, but he does a lot of
good things," Rivers said. "He has a veteran mind; does not play like a
young guy, except he makes rookie fouls, he does things. But he's just a
good spirit. It's good to have him in the locker room."

And it's even better having him on the floor.

As much as his success during the preseason can be attributed to shear
talent, Sullinger is quick to say that his willingness to embrace the
teachings of all of the team's veterans - and not just the big men like
Kevin Garnett - has been vital to his early success.

"You have to come in, you have to learn," said Sullinger, who then rattled off the
name of just about every Celtic player older than 25 years of age as
someone who has helped him thus far. "You got so many things you are
hearing, so many things you are soaking up, you have no choice but to be
better everyday."

But as impressive as Sullinger has been,
Rivers is still noncommittal on him or Bass as the team's regular
starting power forward.

"Having said that, I don't know what type
of team we have," Rivers said. "And I'm not sure we'll have a set
lineup this year. I think there will be nights where they will have a
quick four (power forward) and we'll start Brandon. And there will be
nights when they don't, and you start Sully."

Starting or coming off the bench, it doesn't matter to Sullinger.

He's just happy to help anyway he can for a Celtics team that was quick to
dismiss the questions surrounding his health and selected the two-time
All-American with the No. 21 overall pick.

"It was a blessing in disguise," Sullinger said of being passed over by more than half of the
league. "The way this team is made up, how close knit we are, it's
helping me out tremendously."



bob
My Note: We've got crazy depth.

.

Bob,

Doc's got the right slant by remaining flexible, not only on the Sully/Bass starting issue but also with respect to many lineup configurations. When I noted that the most minutes in the recent Nets game were allotted to Rondo, Lee and Green, the inclusion of a non-starter (Green) really caught my attention. And the fact that he divided his minutes between SF and PF only strengthened my conviction that Doc's definitely doing away with a right dichotomy between starters and the bench.

He's probably still learning (and exulting in) the flexibility he's got not just through players' versatility but more so in the quality throughout that versatility.

One of the really nice things about last night's game (when Doc obviously managed it like a real game) was that the bench played 42% of the Celtics' minutes and scored 34% of the Celtics' points. Both of those figures are dramatically higher than was the case last season.

Sam

I like those percentages. If they hold in that range for most of the year, no one will be worn out by the time playoffs roll around in April.

MD!

Last night was the first time I saw the Celts play since the Eastern Finals. In the words of Sundance, "Who are these guys?" The played so young and fast. Even Paul looked fresh as a Spring chicken. Sully, Joseph, JET, Lee, Green...such an infusion of energy and talent! I wish we were replaying the ECF right now.

worse its only gonna get better

Hey Cow

Not to compare

But I think Sully could bring to this team a little of what a breathing Len Bias could have done for the C's in 87.

He might be able to extend the careers (quality not quantity) of PP and KG.

just a thought

beat

Here's an article by Paul Flannery, also recommending Sully for the starting slot.

My opinion, for what it's worth, is that Sully should start. His strengths are rebounding, inside scoring (although he can shoot from outside) and setting picks. His weakness, at this time, is defense. It makes sense, to me, to pair him with KG (who will compensate for his defensive foibles) and let him create openings for Rondo and Pierce with picks and offset our rebounding softness we've had the past few years. Bass is a veteran who knows Doc's plays, will provide some continuity to a bench that is very talented but hasn't played in Doc's system much (JET is new, Green played 1/2 a season a year and a half ago, Darko is new, Collins is new, Barbosa is brand-spanking new). He can pick-and-pop, which will open the middle for Green, he can drive to the hoop using a Darko screen, he's another solid rebounder for Darko.


http://www.weei.com/sports/boston/basketball/celtics/paul-flannery/2012/10/19/case-starting-jared-sullinger



Celtics coach Doc Rivers went with Jared Sullinger in the starting lineup again on Thursday
night, and while Rivers insists that he hasn't made up his mind about
any of his lineups, especially the starters, it's becoming more and more
clear that Sullinger is the right fit. That's not taking anything away
from Brandon Bass, who has literally done nothing to warrant a
"demotion" to the second team.

Starter/reserve are tricky designations in the NBA, particularly when it involves a 20-year-old rookie and a
seven-year veteran who just recently signed a new 3-year contract. Just a
guess, but that's one of the reasons why Rivers is being so deliberate
with his plan. Another is that he really isn't sure yet, and a third is
that he's using the preseason to gauge who can play where and with whom,
so he can take advantage of a tremendously deep and versatile roster.
That's not playing coy, that's being smart.


And yet, through six preseason games, Sullinger has stood out both for his on-court play -- 11 points, 7
rebounds, 56 percent shooting in 25 minutes -- and for his demeanor. His
notoriously hard to impress veteran teammates have embraced him in a
way that would seem impossible around these parts.


Have we forgotten that Rivers himself has been judged to be a coach who refuses to play rookies? The coach's
reply when that charge is brought up is always the same: Give me a young
guy who can play and see what happens. Sullinger can play.


Two quotes in particular stand out.


First from Kevin Garnett:


"Sully is a very attentive. I love his IQ and everything he’s gaining as far as respect and anything else he’s
gaining these last few weeks, he’s earned."


And from Rajon Rondo:


"He’s probably the smartest rookie we’ve had since I’ve been here. He’s very intelligent. High basketball
IQ and he’s very unselfish. He doesn’t need a play called for him. [Emphasis mine.] He’s been getting his points off the dirty work."


What Sullinger brings to the starting lineup is points and rebounds. More specifically, as Rondo pointed out,
he can get points without running the offense through him to get a shot.
Sullinger moves well without the ball and has the touch and feel to
score inside off passes and cuts. That skill alone will make Rondo's
drives to the basket far more dangerous.


Bass brings his own set of strengths to the equation. He is one of
the best outside-shooting big men in the game, and when he's on the
court with Garnett that opens up the floor. That's extremely important
because the C's relied almost exclusively on spacing and ball movement
to create shots last season. When Garnett and Bass were on the floor
together, the Celtics scored 105.8 points per 100 possessions, a huge jump from their otherwise anemic offensive production last season.


However, Bass' biggest weakness last season was scoring at the basket where he shot just 55 percent per HoopData,
the lowest mark in the league among rotation-level power forwards.
Additionally, Bass is not the rebounder that Sullinger is, especially on
the offensive glass where the Celtics struggled to the point of
absurdity last season.


During the preseason Bass has played well with the second group. If he comes into the game with Jason Terry and Jeff Green,
he can run pick and pops and keep the floor spread for Green to drive
to the basket or post-up. That has the makings of a very effective
bench. There's also a chance that Bass and Sullinger can play together
in some lineups. We saw that on Thursday night against the Nets when Brooklyn coach Avery Johnson brought in Andray Blatche and Reggie Evans.


The real question isn't who starts.
Rather, it's the specific lineups. There are 96 minutes to be had every
night for the Celtics' bigs and Garnett will get 30 of them. That leaves
66 or so to be spread among Sullinger, Bass, Green and the backup
centers. Those 30 minutes with Garnett are the most precious commodity
on the team and Rivers will want to maximize them to the fullest.


Bass is the very definition of a solid pro, and he's the kind of player you want on your team. Again, he's done
nothing wrong this preseason, but Sullinger has a chance to be special.
What's the best way for him to reach his potential? By playing him
alongside Garnett whenever possible.


These are the kind of choices Rivers will have to make all season long and injuries and attrition will also
help settle out roles. It's a process, not an end-game in mid-October.
But from where it sits now, the rookie from Ohio State should get the call on opening night.



bob



.

To whomever,

Ever since Red came up with the opinion that "It's more important who finishes than who starts," it's been in vogue to parrot that option. I've certainly done it. And the truth of those words is unquestioned.

But I've gradually come to realize that, when Red said that, he was coaching teams that almost routinely ran out to solid leads, making opponents tire themselves out playing catchup, and making it easier for whichever Celtics played in crunch time to seal the deal. So now I believe that it is, indeed, very important who starts because I want this team to make other teams play catchup in the face of a blistering, sustained uptempo game from the Celts.

The two positions in the Celtics starting lineup that seem least locked up are PF and SG. And I believe the two decisions may be related to one another. For me, Lee is the key.

If Lee starts, he brings a combination of transition potential, reasonable perimeter potential, penetration potential and defense. Defense is more needed against the other team's starters, who are usually their better offensive players. Defense, alone, would make me select Lee over Terry because Lee's not the poorer offensive player—he's just got a different offensive style.

So, if Lee's going to start, whom does he complement better—Bass or Sully? I believe the answer is Sully because Sully will rebound better to ignite the fast break. And, given the offense represented by KG, Pierce, and Rondo, the two most pressing complementary needs are defense (Lee) and rebounding (Sully).

As I've written elsewhere, in evaluating any combination of five players, I like to start by listing the strongest assets of each player and then see how balanced the collective assets are. Remember, I said STRONGEST assets, not secondary assets:

Bass & Green

KG: Mid-range shooting, interior defense, transition defense, rebounding
Bass: Mid-range shooting, offensive rebounding
Sullinger: Off. rebounding, def. rebounding, inside post presence
Pierce: Perimeter shooting, penetration
Lee: Transition off., transition def., perim. def., penetration, mid-range shooting
Terry: perimeter shooting
Rondo: ball dist'n, penetr., perim. defense, transition off., trans. def.

First, I totaled the collective "best assets" of the three starting staples: KG, Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo. Those figures are in the first column, totaling 14.

I then added the "best assets" of the three starting staples to the collective "best assets" of Brandon Bass and Courtney Lee. Those figures are in the second column, totaling 22.

I then added the "best assets" of the three starting staples to the collective "best assets" of Brandon Bass and Jason Terry. Those figures are in the third column, totaling 17.

I then added the "best assets" of the three starting staples to the collective "best assets" of Jared Sullinger and Courtney Lee. Those figures are in the fourth column, totaling 23.

I then added the "best assets" of the three starting staples to the collective "best assets" of Jared Sullinger and Jason Terry. Those figures are in the fifth column, totaling 19.

............................KG/PP/RR..BB/CL..BB/JT...JS/CL...JS/JT

Mid-range shooting.........3.........5.........4.........4.........3
Inside post presence.......0.........0.........0.........1.........1
Perimeter offense...........1.........2.........2.........2.........2
Transition offense...........1.........2.........1.........2.........1
Penetration....................2.........3.........2.........3.........3
Perimeter defense...........1.........2.........1.........2.........1
Interior defense..............1.........1.........1.........1.........1
Transition defense...........2.........3.........2.........3.........2
Offensive rebounding.......1.........2.........2.........2.........2
Defensive rebounding......1.........1.........1.........2.........2
Ball distribution...............1.........1.........1.........1.........1

Total............................14........22.......17.......23........19

Thus, simply based on these "best assets" comparisons, it appears that the best starting lineup (by one "point") would consist of Garnett, Pierce, Rondo, Sully and Lee. But it's not just the totals that are meaningful. Only two of the five lineups have assets in every listed category (with the addition of Sully adding an important low post presence to the versatility of these two lineups):

Garnett, Pierce, Rondo, Sully and Lee

and

Garnett, Pierce, Rondo, Sully and Terry

And G/P/R/S/L beats G/P/R/S/T by 4 overall "points."

Obviously, while Doc may be using stats to help him make his decision, dollars to donuts they don't involve the figures shown above. I'm sure intangibles such as Doc's instincts will mean a lot. Moreover, I expect others will differ from me on each player's "best assets." So fill in your own figures and see what you come up with.

Sam

Sam,
Interesting calculations. Sound logical to me.
There are 2 more factors, IMO, that have to be considered.
Chemistry. We had opportunity to observe how the starters, RR, PP and KG interact with BB during the last season and playoffs; there's no observation (I don't count those 3-4 preseason games) about Sully. Who fits better?
Opponents. Doc has a luxury of using BB against one team and Sully against another. The same - for SG position (especially when Bradley comes back).

Also, I think you should've considered passing as an asset.

AK

Sam

I'm not a stat guy, but I gotta go with Sully for rebounding and finishing power close to the basket. Sully will get his shot blocked on occasion, but already is a much better post player and finisher than Bass and hes still got so much more upside to his game as the season hasn't even started. He plays with such intelligence, the one post up with the jump hook right in the 7 foot Lopez's face was one of the highlights of the last game and he seems to be a future Kevin Love clone with a better post game. I still like Bass's pick and pop game, he can still help us and will help us.

cow

Sinus,

This is a very imperfect and rough indicator. I was more interested in complementary roles than in individual skills (which are obviously required in filling the roles). That's why I included ball distribution (a role) rather than passing (a skill). There are probably roles I missed, but I didn't want the model to be too elaborate.

Chemistry is not really a role. In a sense, it's partly defined by the interaction of the collective roles, which is very difficult to attribute to an individual player since each guy is interacting with the team. Maybe when we get to the point in the season when we have more +/- data on various combinations, we could try to figure out an "incremental chemistry factor" for each player.

Thanks for responding.

Sam

Cow,

That was my instinct too—go with Sully. I tried to be completely objective in determining the various factors and not totaling any column until I had done all the "role ratings." I find it interesting that the total ratings yielded findings similar to our subjective opinions.

Sam