Jared Sullinger still waiting for his chance

http://www.csnne.com/boston-celtics/jared-sullinger-still-waiting-his-chance



Jared Sullinger still waiting for his chance

October 17, 2015, 9:00 am






Jared Sullinger was one of Boston’s most effective big men last season, delivering the kind of performances when he was healthy that gave the Celtics a great shot at success.

But this is a different season. His role?

Yeah, that has changed as well but not necessarily for the better if you’re in Sullinger’s shoes.

Not only is he not in the starting lineup, but he appears to be on the outside looking in on the team’s rotation.

Friday’s 101-95 loss at New York was yet another preseason matchup in which Sullinger was one of the last big men for Boston to get on the floor.

He led the team with 10 rebounds, but only scored five points on 1-for-8 shooting from the field.

And he did it in 19-plus minutes, a preseason-high for the 6-foot-9 big man.

Sullinger is well aware of where he’s at in terms of the team’s pecking order.

Celtics head coach Brad Stevens has indicated he wants to play only four bigs this season on most nights. So far, the team’s top four big men are David Lee, Amir Johnson, Kelly Olynyk and Tyler Zeller.

And with teams going deeper into their benchs than usual in the preseason, Boston has turned to Jonas Jerebko as the team’s fifth big man with Sullinger usually entering games afterwards.

That is not what Sullinger was anticipating in this, a contract year.

Considering the lack of playing time Sullinger is getting, it’s highly unlikely that the Celtics will get an extension done with the former first round pick by the Nov. 2 deadline.

The decrease in playing time has not impacted him, Sullinger says.

“It doesn’t affect me at all,” he told reporters following Friday’s loss to New York. “You have to be a pro’s pro and be ready when you’re time comes.”

In the meantime, Sullinger plans to do all he can to make sure that he’s ready to contribute when his opportunity to play presents itself.

The extra time working on his game is needed right about now as he tries to snap out of a shooting funk in which he has missed 14 of his last 16 shots from the field.

“Just being in the gym, not playing a lot of minutes so just trying to … get to a gym and get shots,” Sullinger said. “It is what it is. You have your stretches where it’s like that.  It’s the preseason not the regular season. We got time.”



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