Sullinger eventually needs to lose weight. How much?

[contramundum]

If he can control his eating habits and get a good diet, i think he start start doing heavy weight training and cut the fat and build muscle.

He'll only get stronger and more athletic from it.

I'm  not just picking on you but you all have some unrealistic expectations about how sully should handle his body in the.off season.

You cannot cut fat and gain muscle .  If you lose fat you , unless you lose weight very slowly with a high protein diet, will lose some strength/muscle.  For those saying.cardio is the answer, what do you think basketball is?

Thing is, if he eats less during the season it will probably affect his play.  If he's lifting weights to gain strength during the off-season on a calorie deficit he wont be able to recover properly from that.  No man.can serve two.masters.  He either loses weight or he builds muscle.thus gaining some weight. 

I do agree with the poster that said his bulk has helped.him at the five and cutting might help him at the four.  But as long as.he can run up and.down the floor and bang for 30 minutes at a time.he can eat all the.junk food he wants. 

Any weight loss he does should be done slowly during the off-season with the intent of sparing as much muscle as possible.  This is a more complex affair than you may know.  Weight lifting to retain muscle, cardio is stupid, just practice some bball - doing this on top of a precise calorie deficit is a tall order and a top dietician would struggle to figure out how much sully should eat right off the bat.  Sully is already a strong dude, I would hate to lose some of that strength on an aggressive diet.

[Celtics4ever]

10-15 Lbs.   I will tell you one thing that his jumping has improved as the season goes on.   It is utterly ridiculous that a " Professional" came into camp that out of shape.

[BleedGreen1989]

10-15 Lbs.   I will tell you one thing that his jumping has improved as the season goes on.   It is utterly ridiculous that a " Professional" came into camp that out of shape.

Well in his defense I think his back recovery prevented him from doing a ton of work last summer.

This summer I hope we get a legit center, have Sully shed some weight and move to PF, and Olynyk cuts his hair.

[BballTim]

10-15 Lbs.   I will tell you one thing that his jumping has improved as the season goes on.   It is utterly ridiculous that a " Professional" came into camp that out of shape.

  Yes, he should have been doing tons of weight lifting and running while he was recovering from back surgery. What the heck's wrong with this kid?

[PaulAllen]

a vegan diet would make him an all star

[crimson_stallion]

Hey, I give Sully no excuse for being out of shape.

Rondo was out for a year with a torn ACL, he's ripped like a cheetah. 

Bradley missed a lot of time not too long ago with a double shoulder surgery - came back looking as fit as ever.

KG was oft injured in his last couple of years AND 36 years old, but he has never looked fat or out of physically unprepared.

Dwight Howard had to get back surgery, and while he may have mental issues...physically he still looks like a perfect specimen.

Sullinger has been unfit every since colledge, and as he nears the end of his second season as a pro he still looks like a shorter version of  Eddy Curry.  He really should be down around the 240lb mark, maybe 245lb at most.

[contramundum]

Since its so easy to get "ripped" and "shredded" I want to see some pictures of some of the impressive physiques you guys have.  And please don't say "it's his job to be in shape" because it's his job to be a good basketball player.  Besides, being lean and muscular doesn't mean you're automatically atheletic.

Sully is young, probably a bit undisciplined with his diet, and sure, a little doughy.  But he uses that extra weight really well.  He's a good ball player guys, quit hating.

[Celtics4ever]

  Yes, he should have been doing tons of weight lifting and running while he was recovering from back surgery. What the heck's wrong with this kid?

Never heard of an excercise bike?   Or maybe reducing calories when activity level is low?

Guess not....Some guys like to eat, I just hope he doesn't eat himself out of the league.   AW was horrible coming back out of shape.   Shooting all those threes, didn't help his shot nor did it keep him in shape.   He reported he shot a lot of threes so he did something.   I would guess your basketball experience is limited to grade school, since you know nothing about rehab.

[nickagneta]

Back injuries will cause a person to put on fat more than any type of injury. Sully didn't just injure his back he needed back surgery. The number one exercise after back surgery is walking. Doctors don't want you lifting any weights, riding bikes(pressure to the spine sitting), running or jogging, or just about anything after back surgery. The therapy starts with walking and that's a long time doing just that. Then the therapy progresses to stretching and light upper body weight lifting. Then once the back is stabilized and healing, heavy activity is addressed.

Sullinger wasn't in the best of shape before the injury and surgery. Expecting him to get in shape while recovering from the surgery is just ridiculously unrealistic

[LarBrd33]

What's Sully's ceiling?... somewhere between Ryan Gomes and Carlos Boozer?

[#1P4P]

He's consistently playing out of position as a Center...

He has to routinely defend and rebound against the strongest players in the league. Those 20-40 pounds of extra weight might be allowing him to stay healthy. Battling NBA Centers at 270-285 is different from playing them at 230-245.

When Ainge and Stevens make it clear to him that he's going to play the 4, he should gradually lose those 20-40 pounds. Until then, he should maintain that weight  and continue to stay healthy.

[McHales Pits]

I think 260 is probably the right number for him. He is probably trotting out there at about 280-285 right now. Hopefully he can finish the season healthy and get his first real offseason in with pro strength and conditioning coaches. I expect him to be listed at the same weight next season (260), but look a bit more lean/cut.

His ideal weight will be a number that minimizes the stress on his back, maximizes his athletic ability, and sufficiently dampens the impact of banging with NBA big men. So a true 260 is my guess...

[Smokeeye123]

Since its so easy to get "ripped" and "shredded" I want to see some pictures of some of the impressive physiques you guys have.  And please don't say "it's his job to be in shape" because it's his job to be a good basketball player.  Besides, being lean and muscular doesn't mean you're automatically atheletic.

Sully is young, probably a bit undisciplined with his diet, and sure, a little doughy.  But he uses that extra weight really well.  He's a good ball player guys, quit hating.

It'd be a lot easier for the average joe to get in shape if they were a millionaire who could afford a chef and trainer to help them eat healthy and get in shape.

[Who]

I think Sully should stay big. He is not the most athletic player to begin with. I doubt he'll gain enough explosiveness/quickness/athleticism through dropping 30-40lbs to compensate for the loss of advantage his heft/strength creates for him. I reckon he is best off staying as an over-sized power based four (like Boozer, Z-Bo). Somewhere around 260-265. Rather than a more svelte 245lb mode PF (like David West).

[contramundum]

Since its so easy to get "ripped" and "shredded" I want to see some pictures of some of the impressive physiques you guys have.  And please don't say "it's his job to be in shape" because it's his job to be a good basketball player.  Besides, being lean and muscular doesn't mean you're automatically atheletic.

Sully is young, probably a bit undisciplined with his diet, and sure, a little doughy.  But he uses that extra weight really well.  He's a good ball player guys, quit hating.

It'd be a lot easier for the average joe to get in shape if they were a millionaire who could afford a chef and trainer to help them eat healthy and get in shape.

Cop out.  Eating right and lifting heavy stuff is a personal choice that doesn't take a millionaires money to do.  The average joe and Jared sullinger just choose to be a little fluffier.   It all boils down to discipline and effort.  As long as sully keeps beasting on the boards, he can lack a little discipline when it comes to his bod.