Is Sullinger Emerging As A Legitimate Building Block

Warning!  Another Bleacher Report!


http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1865474-is-jared-sullinger-emerging-as-legitimate-building-block-for-boston-celtics


Is Jared Sullinger Emerging as Legitimate Building Block for Boston Celtics?
BY MICHAEL WALSH (FEATURED COLUMNIST) ON NOVEMBER 26, 2013


Hi-res-7904232_crop_north Jared Sullinger could be close to entering a rare group of NBA players.
Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports



Jared Sullinger has been a glaring bright spot on what has been a somewhat dismal month for the Boston Celtics.

Entering this current gauntlet of big, talented frontcourts that the Celtics would be facing, the prognosis for success wasn't good.

The results haven't been great, however, the glimmering light has been Sullinger.

Boston's 2012 first-round pick has had a career filled with promise but short on actual substance. He got a lot more praise than he probably should have as a rookie, playing the underdog card because of his draft position.

Still, when he went down with the most predictable back injury of the year, Sullinger was averaging six points and 5.9 rebounds in 19.8 minutes. Those were solid numbers for a middling first-round draft pick with limited minutes, but not worthy of some of the hype he was getting.

We've now seen him for 14 games in his sophomore campaign, and Sullinger is posting 12.1 points and 6.9 rebounds per game in just 23.8 minutes. Now those are numbers worthy of some hype.

As a starting member of the Boston frontcourt, Sullinger is averaging 13 points and 9.8 rebounds in 31 minutes a night.

So, is it time to start getting truly excited about what this kid could do long-term?

There is a major difference between being a role player as a late draft pick—think Brandon Bass or Zaza Pachulia—and being a legitimate star player coming from that range. That type of leap can't necessarily be ruled out in Sullinger's case.

If you scan NBA rosters for starting big men, you'll find a bunch who were passed over in the lottery and some even the entire first round.

A large portion of those bigs have played or will play the Boston Celtics this month. If we dive deep into what Sullinger is doing on the floor—beyond the points, rebounds and various concrete numbers—maybe we can get a clearer picture of what he could be in the future.



Who are the hopeful comparisons?

Chad Finn        ✔ @GlobeChadFinn
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Sullinger getting under David West's skin. Fun watching him fit in more and more.
6:49 PM - 4 Jan 2013


First, let's get an idea of some of the bigs we'll be stacking Sullinger up against. This season he has played against the Memphis Grizzlies, Indiana Pacers, Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Bobcats, Minnesota Timberwolves and others.

So, we can definitely look at Zach Randolph (No. 19 overall) and Marc Gasol (No. 48 overall) of the Grizzlies. Neither player was taken particularly high in their respective drafts, and neither was earmarked for NBA stardom. However, they have combined to create one of the most feared frontcourts in the league.

Randolph played just 5.8 and 16.9 minutes per game over his first two seasons, breaking out as a 20-10 force in year three. Gasol was almost an afterthought, but he played his way into a bigger role and bigger money in a short time.




Roy Hibbert (No. 17 overall) and David West (No. 18 overall), the league's other dominating interior duo, were also not lottery picks. Hibbert started 41 games as a rookie, but only managed to stay on the floor for 14.4 minutes a night. Similar to Randolph, West is listed as a 6'9" power forward and broke out in year three, after not seeing much time his first two seasons.

Moving on down the line of recent opponents, Paul Millsap of Atlanta was taken No. 47 overall and Minnesota's starting center Nikola Pekovic was taken at No. 31. Boston will also soon face the Cleveland Cavaliers and former No. 30 draft pick Anderson Varejao.

These types of players are all over the NBA right now.

Athleticism and projects with potential reign supreme at the top of draft classes, and guys like Sullinger fall because they don't make highlight-reel plays that land on SportsCenter. However, it's guys like Randolph and West who have long careers as building blocks, while Tyrus Thomas and Hasheem Thabeet struggle to maintain jobs.



What do you see with his offense?


Gary Dzen        ✔ @GaryDzen
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Per 36 minutes Green is 3rd on team in points. Jared Sullinger averaging 20.2 points/36 minutes.
5:53 AM - 20 Nov 2013


The most attractive piece of the Sullinger puzzle is obviously his interior scoring game.

This was the most showcased piece of his college arsenal and why he was thought of so highly before the back problems hurt his draft stock. It has been an adjustment period so far in the NBA, with flashes of brilliance and a lot of hiccups on the way.

Over the past couple weeks, there have been specific signs that Sullinger is expediting the maturation process with his aggression, passing, outside development and creativity.

There are now multiple possessions every game where Sullinger is putting his backside on a defender and hollering for the ball. That is an especially important development for a team structured like the Celtics, given that Kevin Garnett is no longer available as a mentor.



NBA.com
Season shotchart courtesy of NBA.com


Sullinger has also started to find position earlier in the possession. He is quite good at finding space underneath the hoop and using his weight to force defenders toward the perimeter. This has helped the point guards find Sullinger on drive-and-dish plays, as well as perform his lovable one-handed rebounds.

Head coach Brad Stevens is allowing Sullinger to play more on the perimeter, something that wasn't an option with Garnett often out there. With this opportunity Sullinger's passing has improved, as well as the confidence in his own shot.

Against the Charlotte Bobcats on Nov. 25, Sullinger had a hand in three straight scores for Boston.

He found Avery Bradley on a backdoor cut from the perimeter. Then he hit Jordan Crawford with the extra pass for a three-pointer. The third time down the floor, Sullinger flicked off a quick 18-footer before Al Jefferson could close out. On the year, he is 12-of-18 from that range, per NBA.com.




There is still much to learn though.

Sullinger has taken to Stevens' coaching and even started developing a three-point shot—though he took only 40 as a college sophomore. That is an aspect Kevin Love began working on in year two, prior to becoming a dangerous threat from the area deeper into his career.

In transition, Sullinger is starting to run the floor better as his conditioning gets better. He'll never be a gazelle-like lane-filler in this style, but effort is all it takes to be effective in a fast-paced game.

Another aspect of the Celtics' preferred style that he struggles with is outlet passing. That skill takes on a whole different meaning when applied to a quick transition team and Sullinger will continue working to accurately find his guards after clearing the boards.



What do you see with his defense?


Tommy Heinsohn @CSNTommy
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Jared Sullinger had 10 pts & 9 REB: "As soon as this guy stepped on the floor, there was a presence ... I'm gonna give him the #TommyAward!"
7:52 PM - 19 Nov 2013


A big difference between Boston's sophomore and those other NBA names is their trademark skill. Randolph, Gasol, West and Hibbert all earn their paychecks as stout, physical defensive players.

Sullinger is still learning how to play on the defensive end against taller guys without getting into foul trouble each night. With no Garnett to watch over him, bad habits could have started developing but that doesn't look to be the case yet.

Sullinger has taken to Stevens' coaching and even Brandon Bass' leadership. After all, if we are talking about low picks who created long NBA careers for themselves, the former second round pick out of LSU is right up on that list.

The individual defense of a Hibbert, Gasol or Serge Ibaka will probably never be there, as Sullinger is too short at 6'9" to be a rim protecter. Instead, he has to understand spacing and use his body to force offensive bigs out of their comfort zone. He has shown dramatic improvements in that regard.

He still makes young mistakes when defending in space. Some bigs have the ability to drag Sullinger out to the perimeter where they can lose him with the dribble or shoot over the top. Sullinger's height will make it difficult to ever defend against that, but his lateral quickness can improve with hard work.

In Boston's six wins this season Sullinger's defensive rating dips to 93.1, but it skyrockets to 106.1 in the team's losses, per NBA.com. That shows the wild disparity in his defensive learning process, especially with no more Garnett.



What do you see in his intangibles?


Steve Bulpett @SteveBHoop
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Flagrant 1 foul on Sullinger. Hard hit. Refs checked the video. NFL officials say they want to review it, as well.
6:04 PM - 23 Nov 2013


We have to look at the situation to answer this. With Garnett off the team and Coach Rivers in Los Angeles, Sullinger lost the two biggest sources of advice he knew upon his big league introduction. However, they have been replaced by Brad Stevens.

One of the things I've most appreciated about Stevens this season is that nothing is gifted to his players. Nobody gets a starting job without earning it, especially Sullinger. If Sullinger had been tossed into that role right away, we may not be seeing what we have been these past couple games.

Rivers had an odd relationship with his younger players, and an occasional reputation for dismissing them in favor of his older guys. Sullinger has worked to earn Stevens' trust, and with the insertion into a starting role you have to believe he's got it.

An important part of Sullinger's game throughout these next few years will be toughness.

That means playing through minor injuries, but it also means developing an identity as a no-nonsense type—like Randolph or West. Those undersized power forwards needed that identity to stay alive on nights where their shots didn't fall.





Sullinger was only 2-of-9 from the field against the Bobcats for five points Monday, but Stevens kept him on the floor for 28 minutes, including the final two minutes of a close game. That reasoning can be found in Sullinger's plus-five mark. Bass and Crawford combined to score 37 points, but finished with a minus-nine and minus-four on the night, respectively.

Sullinger showed a lot of poise against Jefferson, limiting him to 14 points and three rebounds. He proved a lot as well with breakout games against Tim Duncan's San Antonio Spurs and LaMarcus Aldridge's Portland Trail Blazers.

With upcoming contests against Randolph's Grizzlies, Varejao's Cavaliers and a home-and-home against the variety of bigs the Milwaukee Bucks can throw out there, Sullinger has more tests to pass.

For now, he is earning a high grade and racing closer and closer to building-block status.




bob


.

Certainly not a building block, but a tough and gritty player.

Attitude-wise, he's the kind of guy you wish you had twelve of.

Be it for us off the bench, or for another team in a trade that brings us a true building block, Sully's the kind of player you root for.

I'd say he's the best and only building block added since Rondo. This season thus far is showing how quickly Sully has adapted to the pro game. He'll keep getting better.



KJ

not a building block? hes showing me he totally is

hes not Derrick Williams or Anthony Bennet, hes a bull with a wide range of skills

and his defense is alot better than I ever thought it could be.

Hi,
Yes, Sully is something. I don't know what it is - his father or mother nature or both - but he has something that very few NBA players have. And he knows how to use it to compensate for the lack of athleticism. Also, he always plays with gusto. I bet if he had additional 1-2 inches of height and 5 inches of vertical jump he'd be pick #0.
I hope DA keeps him in the green...

AK

Put him with even a good center and it would be the closest thing to Cowens Silas era that weve seen around here. IMHO

beat

Like I said, imagine Sully at 7'2".

He'd be unstoppable.



KJ

Sully is like Joe Frazier hes an in fighter, he is NFL lineman strong and moves these taller skinny guys in the paint like Barkley and Silas, obviously he can't leap like Barkley, but at least hes a legit 6'9".....this generation of young PF's is nowhere near as strong the KG/Duncan/Dirk era of a few seasons ago, Sully has future all star abilities that we are seeing right now.

Come on Danny get us a center!!!

Sully is still a kid.

Last 5 games the kid is averaging 15 and 10 and has been playing out of position.  I think that he is clearly establishing himself as a building block.  And he has developed into an excellent low post player who is not afraid to step out and take a mid range shot.  The Celtics have not been able to fully utilize his skill set on offense because we do not have a top end passer to feed him in the post.  (Rondo to Sully will become a trademark for this team)

Most of all I just love his grit.  This kid fights for every rebound.  He has all of the qualities that reflect the long standing Celtics' tradition.  I did not think that he was going to be this good but I was wrong.  

It is good to know that we got a guy that will bang with anyone down low.  He will not be pushed around.  

dboss

Sullinger called one of the top 5 players in 2012 draft by the NY Times:

By BENJAMIN HOFFMAN
Published: November 30, 2013

Anthony Bennett’s rookie season for the Cleveland Cavaliers has been so ugly that he is being called a bust after a dozen games.

Bennett was a surprise No. 1 overall pick in 2013, drafted ahead of a player considered to have far more potential, Nerlens Noel, and two Indiana players who were considerably more accomplished, Victor Oladipo and Cody Zeller, among others. In Bennett’s first 10 N.B.A. games, he shot 5 for 37 from the field and averaged 1.3 points and 2.5 rebounds a game.

The good news is that it will be nearly impossible for him to remain so ineffective. On Nov. 23, in a loss to San Antonio, Bennett had what would qualify, for him, as a breakout game. He shot 4 for 5 from the field (raising his field-goal percentage to .214 from .135) and finished with 9 points and 5 rebounds.

Bennett’s case, after so many other teenagers were able to step right into a man’s game, is a stark reminder that the N.B.A. occasionally presents a difficult learning curve.

With that in mind, it is often best to largely ignore a player’s rookie season, as he becomes accustomed to the speed of the league, and start paying attention in his second year. A look at the players from the 2012 draft shows that some have stagnated, some have proved unworthy and some have become stars. So far, five players from the class seem to have distanced themselves from the pack in terms of production and potential.

ANTHONY DAVIS, C, N. ORLEANS After a solid rookie campaign limited to 64 games because of injuries, the unibrowed Davis appears to have justified his status as the top overall choice. His improvements this season are a result of not only an increase in minutes, but also a drastic increase in efficiency. Davis has raised his points, rebounds and blocks per 36 minutes and has become a deadly free-throw shooter, and his player efficiency rating has reached a remarkable 28.5 from a solid 21.7. At 3.9 blocks a game, he is on the verge of being the first player to average 4 a game since Dikembe Mutombo in 1995-6.

DAMIAN LILLARD, G, PORTLAND Lillard leads the draft class in nearly every category, so to say he has not improved much from his rookie season is hardly an insult; he had little need to change anything. The No. 6 pick, Lillard has raised his scoring average slightly, and his assists per game have dipped slightly, but his advanced shooting statistics remain remarkably the same. He and Davis are easily the draft’s two best players, with Davis getting the edge mainly based on his potential for improvement.

ANDRE DRUMMOND, C, DETROIT True N.B.A. centers are such a rarity that to have two in the same draft class is special. Drummond looks as if he was a steal as the No. 9 pick for the Pistons. Although his 36-minute averages are roughly the same as they were last season, he has maintained that production while increasing his workload to 33.1 minutes a game from 20.7. His 11 double-doubles are fourth in the league behind Kevin Love, Chris Paul and Blake Griffin.

BRADLEY BEAL, G, WASHINGTON Beal, drafted No. 3 in 2012, has not played much better this season, he has simply played more. Still not particularly efficient, he is averaging 20.6 points a game but is doing so with the benefit of an N.B.A.-leading 40.2 minutes a game. It is easy to see Beal’s potential, however, because he is shooting 43.9 percent from 3-point range on more than six attempts a game.

JARED SULLINGER, F, BOSTON Injury concerns caused Sullinger’s draft value to plummet to No. 21, but he is looking like one of 2012’s biggest bargains. His per-36 minute averages of 18.9 points and 10.6 rebounds indicate potential stardom if his body holds up to the rigors of the game. If only things had worked out so well for Fab Melo, whom the Celtics selected one pick after Sullinger. After shuttling between Boston and the N.B.A.’s development league during his rookie season, Melo was traded over the off-season and has since been waived by both Memphis and Dallas.

The rest of the draft class includes players who still have the potential for greatness (Jonas Valanciunas, Harrison Barnes), players who seem like busts (Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Thomas Robinson, Royce White) and players who have not shown enough to know for sure.

By this time next season, we should know which category applies to Bennett.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/01/sports/basketball/rookie-seasons-can-be-taken-with-grain-of-salt.html

good find Steve, another 2nd year player just starting to get it is Terrence Jones, Davis's college teammate.

Nice post, Steve.

Sam

steve3344 wrote:Sullinger called one of the top 5 players in 2012 draft by the NY Times:

By BENJAMIN HOFFMAN
Published: November 30, 2013

Anthony Bennett’s rookie season for the Cleveland Cavaliers has been so ugly that he is being called a bust after a dozen games.

Bennett was a surprise No. 1 overall pick in 2013, drafted ahead of a player considered to have far more potential, Nerlens Noel, and two Indiana players who were considerably more accomplished, Victor Oladipo and Cody Zeller, among others. In Bennett’s first 10 N.B.A. games, he shot 5 for 37 from the field and averaged 1.3 points and 2.5 rebounds a game.

The good news is that it will be nearly impossible for him to remain so ineffective. On Nov. 23, in a loss to San Antonio, Bennett had what would qualify, for him, as a breakout game. He shot 4 for 5 from the field (raising his field-goal percentage to .214 from .135) and finished with 9 points and 5 rebounds.

Bennett’s case, after so many other teenagers were able to step right into a man’s game, is a stark reminder that the N.B.A. occasionally presents a difficult learning curve.

With that in mind, it is often best to largely ignore a player’s rookie season, as he becomes accustomed to the speed of the league, and start paying attention in his second year. A look at the players from the 2012 draft shows that some have stagnated, some have proved unworthy and some have become stars. So far, five players from the class seem to have distanced themselves from the pack in terms of production and potential.

ANTHONY DAVIS, C, N. ORLEANS After a solid rookie campaign limited to 64 games because of injuries, the unibrowed Davis appears to have justified his status as the top overall choice. His improvements this season are a result of not only an increase in minutes, but also a drastic increase in efficiency. Davis has raised his points, rebounds and blocks per 36 minutes and has become a deadly free-throw shooter, and his player efficiency rating has reached a remarkable 28.5 from a solid 21.7. At 3.9 blocks a game, he is on the verge of being the first player to average 4 a game since Dikembe Mutombo in 1995-6.

DAMIAN LILLARD, G, PORTLAND Lillard leads the draft class in nearly every category, so to say he has not improved much from his rookie season is hardly an insult; he had little need to change anything. The No. 6 pick, Lillard has raised his scoring average slightly, and his assists per game have dipped slightly, but his advanced shooting statistics remain remarkably the same. He and Davis are easily the draft’s two best players, with Davis getting the edge mainly based on his potential for improvement.

ANDRE DRUMMOND, C, DETROIT True N.B.A. centers are such a rarity that to have two in the same draft class is special. Drummond looks as if he was a steal as the No. 9 pick for the Pistons. Although his 36-minute averages are roughly the same as they were last season, he has maintained that production while increasing his workload to 33.1 minutes a game from 20.7. His 11 double-doubles are fourth in the league behind Kevin Love, Chris Paul and Blake Griffin.

BRADLEY BEAL, G, WASHINGTON Beal, drafted No. 3 in 2012, has not played much better this season, he has simply played more. Still not particularly efficient, he is averaging 20.6 points a game but is doing so with the benefit of an N.B.A.-leading 40.2 minutes a game. It is easy to see Beal’s potential, however, because he is shooting 43.9 percent from 3-point range on more than six attempts a game.

JARED SULLINGER, F, BOSTON Injury concerns caused Sullinger’s draft value to plummet to No. 21, but he is looking like one of 2012’s biggest bargains. His per-36 minute averages of 18.9 points and 10.6 rebounds indicate potential stardom if his body holds up to the rigors of the game. If only things had worked out so well for Fab Melo, whom the Celtics selected one pick after Sullinger. After shuttling between Boston and the N.B.A.’s development league during his rookie season, Melo was traded over the off-season and has since been waived by both Memphis and Dallas.

The rest of the draft class includes players who still have the potential for greatness (Jonas Valanciunas, Harrison Barnes), players who seem like busts (Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Thomas Robinson, Royce White) and players who have not shown enough to know for sure.

By this time next season, we should know which category applies to Bennett.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/01/sports/basketball/rookie-seasons-can-be-taken-with-grain-of-salt.html

I'd rank Sully above Beal. Sully's points/36mpg are better, obviously his rebounding is better. Beal's assists/36mpg is better (3.1 vs 2.0) but he probably has the ball in his hands more. Sully is way ahead on blocks/36mpg, despite being a whole lot less athletic than Beal, with .8 vs .2.

More importantly, Sully is elevating the entire team. Is Beal doing that? How many times has Beal, who came out of college touted as a extremely talented scorer, been his team's top scorer in any game? Granted he has John Wall to compete with for that honor, but Sully has Jeff Green.

None of this really matters, of course, it's just bragging rights but I'd still take Sully in a hummingbird's heartbeat over Bradley Beal. I doubt Bradley Beal will ever be one of the top 3-5 SG in the NBA, but Sully could be one of the top 3-5 PFs in the NBA within just a few short years.


bob


.

bob at dinosaur ballet the brute is beautiful to watch

opps elephant ballet, me bad

cowens/oldschool wrote:opps elephant ballet, me bad

cow,


Dinosaur ballet, elephant ballet, mastodon mamba, leviathan lambada, pachyderm polka. It's all the same.


bob


.