• Follow us on Twitter @buckeyeplanet and @bp_recruiting, like us on Facebook! Enjoy a post or article, recommend it to others! BP is only as strong as its community, and we only promote by word of mouth, so share away!
  • Consider registering! Fewer and higher quality ads, no emails you don't want, access to all the forums, download game torrents, private messages, polls, Sportsbook, etc. Even if you just want to lurk, there are a lot of good reasons to register!

PF Jared Sullinger (2x 1st Team ALL B1G & All American, Anyang KGC, S.Korea)

Jump to latest Follow Reply
Sort by date Sort by votes
Jared Sullinger earns respect of Joakim Noah, Carlos Boozer
By Jason Mastrodonato
Globe Correspondent / January 18, 2013

Two of the best rebounders in the NBA sat about 10 feet from each other in the Chicago Bulls locker room Friday night, smiling about a 100-99 overtime win over the Celtics, but in awe over what it took to get there.

Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer, who entered the game ranked eighth and 12th in the NBA with 10.7 and 9.7 rebounds per game, respectively, had worked unusually hard for a game against the NBA?s third-worst team in rebounding differential (minus-3.8).

This was expected to be a cakewalk on the glass for Chicago. And in the previous two matchups this season, it was: The Bulls combined to outrebound the Celtics, 83-69.

But Jared Sullinger hardly played in those games, averaging less than 14 minutes and just two rebounds.

With Sullinger on the court Friday, Noah and Boozer had to work.

?No question,? Noah said. ?He?s a very solid player. Very tough. A strong, strong guy.

?I think [rebounding] was definitely something that [Celtics coach Doc Rivers] emphasized, because we have been rocking them on the glass the last three, four times we?ve been playing them. When that happens, it becomes like a pride thing. They competed hard tonight.?

Sullinger played a career-high 38 minutes, hauling in 15 rebounds as the Celtics put together a late-game rally. The Bulls won the battle of the boards by just one this time, 43-42.

?You know who gave them a big lift ? it was Sullinger,? Boozer gushed. ?What a great job, man. For a rookie playing in a big game, I was impressed.?

cont...
Click to expand...

http://www.boston.com/sports/basket...rlos-boozer/pWaC886qU1eTZdbBklRRsL/story.html

Sullinger stands alone on boards
January 19, 2013

If it?s not official, then Jared Sullinger?s status as the Celtics? best rebounder is getting pretty close.

The rookie, who is now routinely plucking the biggest boards in every game, grabbed 15 last night after banging against the Chicago duo of Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer throughout the Celtics? 100-99 overtime loss to the Bulls.

Of course, Noah (13) and Boozer (20) combined for 33 rebounds. Even with Sullinger now contributing muscle every night ? he fouled out with 50.1 seconds left in overtime ? the Celtics have a major problem against big, active frontcourts.

But Sullinger, who had his third double-figure rebounding game in the last five, including a career-high 16 rebounds against Phoenix on Jan. 9, is definitely part of the solution. Indeed, he may be the only solution right now, if he can gain more respect from officials.

?It?s hard to see Sully right now getting into foul trouble,? said Kevin Garnett, the Celtic with the next highest rebound total of seven. ?Fouls right now are keeping him from playing a lot of minutes, but he?s in a rhythm that?s beautiful, to be honest. He has a knack for the ball.?

High hopes

Celtics officials are hoping Sullinger snags an invitation to the rookie/sophomore game during All-Star weekend.

And the Celts rookie already has a plan to change his game, especially for Houston.

?I?m shooting straight 3?s if I play in that game,? he joked. ?Don?t look for me to step inside the arc. I?m going to let Doc know this is what you could have on the floor.?
Click to expand...

http://bostonherald.com/sports/celtics_nba/boston_celtics/2013/01/sullinger_stands_alone_boards
 
Upvote 0
Sullinger deserves spot in rookie game
January, 19, 2013
By Greg Payne | ESPNBoston.com

WALTHAM, Mass. -- It didn't take long for Jared Sullinger to prove to a host of NBA general managers that they might have made a mistake in passing on him during the 2012 NBA draft.

While first emerging from Ohio State as a surefire lottery pick, pre-draft examinations resulted in a medical red flag on Sullinger's back, which left him free-falling on draft night. But the Celtics, whose own doctors examined him and deemed him fit for duty, happily scooped Sullinger up with the 21st overall pick. Now, 39 games into the season, Sullinger's supposed back woes are non-existent, and he's emerged as one of the Celtics' most reliable players and best rebounders.

nba_g_sullinger_gb1_200.jpg

Brian Babineau/NBAE/Getty Images
Jared Sullinger's raw numbers don't blow you away, but they don't accurately portray his value to the Celtics.

Sullinger is quick to brush aside any talk of trying to prove wrong those who weren't willing to take a chance on him last June. He has repeated a number of times that winning is his only goal, with personal stats and contributions only meaningful if they factor into a Celtics victory.

But if there is any part of Sullinger that wants to validate his production and send a statement to some of last summer's doubters, his next best opportunity might be selection to the Rising Stars Challenge (better known as the rookie-sophomore game) as part of NBA All-Star weekend on Feb. 15.

The game is designed to show off the league's upcoming talent, with two teams comprised of rookies and sophomores squaring off against one another. The players are chosen by the league's assistant coaches.

Sullinger likely finds himself on the bubble for selection. In six of the last seven years, only nine rookies have been selected, and with a handful of Sullinger's classmates posting better overall numbers -- including Damian Lillard of Portland, Anthony Davis of New Orleans and Bradley Beal of Washington -- he'll have to rely on assistant coaches understanding the value he brings to the Celtics that might not be conveyed in basic numbers.

Through 39 games, Sullinger has averaged 6.1 points and 6.0 rebounds in 19.9 minutes, but his defensive rebound rate of 23.2 is second on the team only to Kevin Garnett, and he leads the team in both offensive rebound rate (12.9) and total rebound rate (18.1). He's stepped in as one of coach Doc Rivers' most reliable frontcourt options off the bench, thanks to a natural feel for the game and a deep understanding of the Celtics' systems on both sides of the ball.

cont...
Click to expand...

http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/celtics/post/_/id/4701401/sullinger-deserves-spot-in-rookie-game
 
Upvote 0
Marla Ridenour: Celtics' Jared Sullinger proving critics wrong
January 23, 2013
By Marla Ridenour

CLEVELAND - Leading up to the 2012 NBA Draft, Jared Sullinger might have felt like he was playing Kansas every night.

Detractors of Sullinger, the Ohio State All-American, knocked him at every turn. He was too chubby. Too short. A tweener who lacked athleticism. Red-flagged by some teams because of back issues.

He'd been used to wearing a scarlet letter, but this had to seem ridiculous. By the time scouts and analysts were done with him, being coached by his father Satch at Northland High School in Columbus could have been twisted into a negative.

He wasn't invited to the NBA Draft in New York because the league decided he wouldn't be selected in the top 15, saving him a Brady Quinn moment. As it turned out, 16 teams passed on Sullinger in the first round. Once considered a top-five talent, Sullinger, a 6-foot-9, 260-pound power forward, fell to the 21st pick.

It was almost as if an oversized bowling ball rolled into the Boston Celtics' laps. And for the Celtics, it was a strike.

On Tuesday, Celtics coach Doc Rivers chuckled that some of that negativity might have been by design.

He wondered if Danny Ainge, Celtics president of basketball operations, was among those disparaging Sullinger.

"I actually think Danny may have been part of it," Rivers said before the team's morning shootaround.

As he returned to Ohio on Tuesday night to face the Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena, Sullinger is well on his way to proving he belongs in the league. At least for now, rebounding will be his calling card.

Against the Cavs, Sullinger finished with 10 rebounds and 12 points in 27 minutes. In 11 games in January, the rookie has averaged 8.6 rebounds and 8.3 points. In the NBA category of rebounds per 48 minutes, which projects a player's average over an entire game, his 14.5 entering the night was higher than Al Jefferson of the Utah Jazz, Roy Hibbert of the Indiana Pacers and David Lee of the Golden State Warriors. In plus-minus, which measures how a team scores against its opponents when a player is on the court, Sullinger (plus 57) was second among rookies and led the Celtics.

cont...
Click to expand...

http://bostonherald.com/sports/celt...enour_celtics_jared_sullinger_proving_critics
 
Upvote 0
Five Questions with ... Boston Celtics forward Jared Sullinger
Jodie Valade, The Plain Dealer
January 26, 2013

12176837-large.jpg

Rookie forward Jared Sullinger is averaging six points and six rebounds in 20 minutes of action for the Celtics this season. Elise Amendola, Associated Press

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A quick conversation this week with the former Ohio State star and rookie forward with the Celtics.

Q: What's the biggest thing you've learned so far from teammate Kevin Garnett?

A: It's been going great. I'm learning a lot from Kevin. A lot of ups and downs, but it's going all right. I think defensively I got a lot better. Just communication on defense kind of helped me get rolling on the defensive side.

Q: Doc Rivers said you're 'not an athlete' and you play below the rim. Do you feel like you have to prove you still belong in the NBA?

A: You definitely got to prove yourself at this level. But I'm definitely not an athlete. I play below the rim. I mean, it is what it is, though. That's been me for three years. So why change now? I'm already here, so there's no point in changing. I've just got to learn to adapt.

Q: There were a lot of questions about your transition from Ohio State to the NBA, that you might not be a good pro player. Do you feel like you've proven everyone wrong?

A: I knew I could always play. That's everybody's opinion. Everybody has their own opinion. I don't mind it. They're just trying to do their job, sell papers and news feeds and stuff like that. So thank you, guys.

Q: Is your backside still your biggest weapon at the pro level?

A: It's always been like that. My mom blessed me with a beautiful backside. You can tell her I said that.

Q: How do you use it?

A: That's pretty much how I get my rebounds -- I pretty much throw my butt out there and grab the board. That's just me.
Click to expand...

http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2013/01/five_questions_with_boston_cel_1.html
 
Upvote 0
the refs think that since the nba scouts showed sully no respect they don't have to either...they heard all the talk about how unathletic he was, so they call the games as if he is clumsy bum out there on the court...i watch all the celtic games now and it just seems as if the refs think they can get away with calling all the bs on sully that they do
 
Upvote 0
HilmerJ;2297207; said:
the refs think that since the nba scouts showed sully no respect they don't have to either...they heard all the talk about how unathletic he was, so they call the games as if he is clumsy bum out there on the court...i watch all the celtic games now and it just seems as if the refs think they can get away with calling all the bs on sully that they do
Click to expand...

right or wrong its an NBA rookie initiation thing...Dion Waiters has had his share of no calls at the rim this year as well. The coaching staff in Cleveland is trying to get him to remain aggressive going to the hoop because he has openly talked about being hesitant because of the lack of respect he and other rookies get.
 
Upvote 0
Jared Sullinger has back injury
February 01, 2013

Jared Sullinger did not practice with the Celtics on Thursday because of back spasms, and coach Doc Rivers said he is 50-50 to play Friday against the Orlando Magic.

Sullinger apparently slipped in the draft because of back issues but has played in the team?s first 45 games. He left Wednesday?s win with 7:52 left in the first quarter and did not return.

Rivers said Sullinger began experiencing back discomfort two weeks ago, but the coach doesn?t expect it will be a major injury.

?There?s nothing, I don?t think, that is bad, just spasms,? Rivers said. ?When you have a back, you have a back, it?s not one thing, it?s everything.

?I?m not that concerned. Can his miss games here or there? He may, but it?s not anything [long-term] or anything like that.

?My guess is he plays with it every day. I keep saying, because I had a back injury my whole career, once you have a back, you have a back. It never goes away. You just have to play through it.?
Click to expand...

http://bostonglobe.com/sports/2013/...back-injury/UfCBz0YJvx7BC7DrUfR3BO/story.html
 
Upvote 0
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top