Sullinger sports new hair style, same amount of weight

http://www.csnne.com/boston-celtics/sullinger-reminded-trainer-what-hard-work



Sullinger sports new hair style, same amount of weight
September 25, 2015, 6:15 pm




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WALTHAM, Mass. – Jared Sullinger looks noticeably different compared to last season -- but we’re not talking about his weight, folks.

The 6-foot-9 forward is sporting a blonde Mohawk these days, which is similar to the one worn by teammate Marcus Smart, a look that will do absolutely nothing for his game.

And while the eye test for Sullinger doesn’t appear to show he has lost a significant amount of weight this summer, the real issue and concern with him is his conditioning – something that will be put to the test when the Celtics open with the first of two practices on Saturday.

“I can’t really say I’m where I want to be as far as conditioning-wise because I haven’t played 5-on-5 in three weeks,” Sullinger said at the Celtics' Media Day. “There’s a difference between being in the best shape you can be practice-wise, and then there’s game shape. As far as me being where I want to be, I’m not there yet but I’m closer than you would imagine. This is probably the best I’ve felt emotionally, physically, going into a season.”

That’s certainly something that the Celtics and Sullinger should feel encouraged by.

However, the lack of noticeably visible weight loss keeps the concern level relatively high that he won’t have the kind of conditioning needed in order to build off what he’s done in three seasons in Boston.

Sullinger has missed significant time in two of his three NBA seasons due to injuries and setbacks that to some degree were associated with his weight and physical conditioning.

Prior to Friday’s Media Day, head coach Brad Stevens had a chance to catch up with Sullinger who spent most of his summer in Houston working out with former NBA player and coach, John Lucas.

Stevens said the conversation was similar in theme to previous discussions between him and Sullinger.

According to Stevens, the two talked about “continuing to embrace the opportunity.”

In addition to Sullinger, Boston’s frontcourt also consists of returners Kelly Olynyk, Tyler Zeller and Jonas Jerebko.

Newcomers David Lee and Amir Johnson are in the mix as well.

Not to mention second-round pick Jordan Mickey, who displayed first-round talent and was thus rewarded with a salary (four years, $5 million) akin to a late first-round pick.

Stevens added that their conversation included him telling Sullinger the team’s desire for him and all the players, is to “just play as well as you can for as long as you can.”

And as far as whether he has lost significant weight or not, Stevens said, “I’m a lot more focused with the on-the-court stuff than anything else.”

But when it comes to Sullinger’s efforts to slim down this summer, it has a direct impact on the team’s performance this season.

That’s why he spent most of this summer working out with Lucas, a union that Sullinger admits came about unexpectedly.

Sullinger’s agent David Falk flew into his Columbus, Ohio hometown unexpectedly. He was asked to meet him around 3:30 p.m., but next thing Sullinger knew, his agent – along with Sullinger’s parents and brother Julian – were at his door along with “this bald-headed guy by the name of John Lucas.”

Lucas had a message for Sullinger that still resonates with the 23-year-old.

“He (Lucas) personally came down and told me I have all the talent in the world,” Sullinger recalled. “But you forgot what working hard is.”

It was a message that Sullinger needed to hear as he gears up for what’s shaping up to be a potentially career-defining season.

The Celtics can sign him to an extension before the season starts, but in all likelihood a deal won’t get done, which would make him a restricted free agent next summer.

For Sullinger to get the kind of contract that many believe his talent warrants, coming into camp in better condition – something that won’t reveal itself until he starts playing five-on-five this week – will be huge.

“Last year before he got hurt, we depended on him a lot,” said Evan Turner. “A better-conditioned Jared Sullinger means more success for our team because he’s a very talented individual.”

A strong season would certainly bode well for both Sullinger and the Celtics, but he says his focus has little to do with his own future.

“I’ve never set personal goals for myself,” he said. “Everything is team-oriented. My biggest thing is win as many basketball games as we can and build off what we had last year. Understand we can be whoever we want to be as long as we put our minds to it, and understand we can’t be selfish.”

But part of Sullinger’s plan for this season involves getting back to doing what he has done well for much of his playing career – impacting the game around the basket.

His 3-point shooting has improved every season in the NBA, but a not-so-friendly reminder from Lucas helped him to put back into focus what he needs to do in order to be successful.

During a five-on-five pick-up game in Houston this summer, Sullinger grabbed a rebound and threw an outlet pass to former Maine Red Claw Tim Frazier, now with the Portland Trail Blazers.

Frazier dribbled to near the free throw line quickly, and Sullinger said the player that was defending him helped out on Frazier.

“He (Frazier) would dish it back and I’d shoot the trail 3,” Sullinger recalled. “I shot it four times in a row and made all four.”

Lucas had seen enough.

“John cussed me out big time,” Sullinger said. “John stops the whole open gym process and says – I can’t really say what he said – he said get my big … on the block; stop trailing for jump-shots and get on the block.”

Sullinger added, “That right there was my biggest wake-up call. He knows I can shoot the basketball. But he also knows I need to be on the block more and get to the free throw line more.”

It remains to be seen if the lessons Sullinger gleaned from his time with Lucas this summer will pay dividends for the Celtics this season.

“I feel great; I feel great,” Sullinger said. “I can’t get comfortable; I can’t get comfortable. I have to keep going and do what’s best for the team. If that’s my job to be the biggest cheerleader on the bench, or to play X-amount of minutes. My biggest thing is whatever helps us win, do it to the best of my ability.”



bob



.

Big Baby Part 2. Lots of talk, no action.

The biggest wake-up call is to stop shooting the trail 3?

How about this one? Put the fork down and push your fat ass away from the dinner table! There, I used the same bad word as Lucas, yet in a more meaningful way.

Ba-bye!!!

wes unseld played pretty well for a guy as round as he was tall. of course he never shot a three (I don't think he ever played in the old ABA). So yeah I like that "skip the threes, Sully" Idea a lot. get down low big fella and do some damage on those "small ball" fours.

use that god given BIG ass, big man!!

I could care less how much Sully weighs on the scales...I DO care if he is in shape. different thing to me.

kdp59 wrote:wes unseld played pretty well for a guy as round as he was tall. of course he never shot a three (I don't think he ever played in the old ABA). So yeah I like that "skip the threes, Sully" Idea a lot. get down low big fella and do some damage on those "small ball" fours.

use that god given BIG ass, big man!!

I could care less how much Sully weighs on the scales...I DO care if he is in shape. different thing to me.

kdp,

Big Wes wasn't a shooter, he only averaged 10.8ppg for his career and none of them from distance, and if he was round then so is a brick shithouse.  When he set a pick you needed to hail a cab to get around it.

We'll see about Sully.  For a number of pretty obvious reasons (better production, tastier trade bait) I'm rooting for him.


bob


.

dboss,

I think Lucas is old school and "setting up in the block" is how the game was played when he was playing.  Now it is about spacing, and shooting threes is a means to that end.  The current theory is that shooting threes opens up lanes to the hoop for the wings.

I don't think that Stevens is "too nice" and merely allows Sully to do what he wants and shoot threes.  I think he wants his bigs to shoot threes.  If players don't try to shoot threes during games, they will never learn that skill.  Over time, if a player fails to learn that skill, maybe then he will suggest that they stop (or trade away that player).

Maybe the worm will turn and the game will return to the old "dump it into the post" way of playing.  As of now, that style doesn't seem to be getting teams very deep in the playoffs.

gyso

Too bad Sully isn't Big Al:

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/al-jefferson-lost-20-points-by-deciding-not-to-eat-fried-chicken-anymore-203155459.html

http://hoopshabit.com/2015/04/21/charlotte-hornets-aging-al-jefferson-wisely-planning-drop-weight/

Hi,
Judging by the article and pictures from the press day the prognosis on Sully is bleak. But as the saying goes: it's not over until it's over. So, let's wait before putting stamp of rejection. It's only a month until the season's start.

AK

dboss,

Why would Sully say it was a wake up call?  Read my first post on this thread.  IMO, he is all talk and no action.  Anything that comes out of Sully's mouth is pure unadulterated BS.  The wake up call should have been when his GM told the world that he is FAT and needs to lose the weight.

All summer we have read that he is working on it.  We've seen pictures with captions that claim he is leaner and meaner.  I never saw one single photo all summer that backed up those claims.

Now he shows up to training camp carrying the same weight that he was at the end of last season.  IMO, no matter how much better he is "in shape", he is still carrying around 30-40 extra pounds.  That doesn't bode well for him in the long run.  He is more apt to break down carrying the extra baggage around.  He has already had issues with his back and foot.

Just recently, Charles Barkley stated that Moses Malone likely saved his career by telling him to lose the weight when he first came into the league.  Do you remember the nickname "Round Mound of Rebound"?  Chuck did lose the excess weight and the rest is history.

Don't get me wrong, I want him to succeed.  BBD was one of my favorite Celtics player earlier in his career.  BBD just ignored all the warnings and I eventually became tired of his act. Sully seems to be going down that same road, with all the exit signs pointing to Europe or China.

As far as why Stevens allows him to keep shooting threes, my second paragraph above states why I think so.  Stevens wants to see if he can learn the skill.  I remember Big Baby when he started shooting the mid-range jumper.  At first, BBD was horrible at it.  I had a discussion with another guy about that.  He said something like "would you stake a game on that shot" and I said something very similar to what I am saying now, "eventually it may pay off, so thinking in the long term, yes".

We all know that we won not just a game, but a playoff game, on that very shot against Orlando (I think that was the opponent).  That was the game where BBD kind of ran over a young kid who was standing too close to the court as BBD ran down the court after the game winning shot.  If Doc had just gone by the early results of BBD's shooting percentage and told him to chill out with getting confident in shooting that jumper during games, he would stifled a new dimension to BBD's game.  Doc may have planted a seed of doubt and hesitation in BBD's mind.

We all know what doubt and hesitation can do to a otherwise good shooting player.  Bradley and Olynyk come to mind.

gyso