Sully hitting them 3's!

[Monkhouse]

At that time, Sullinger had averaged 2.5 3-point attempts per game, which accounted for nearly 20 percent of his field goal attempts.

Coincidentally, Sullinger has become a threat – and a dangerous one at that – from downtown ever since. He continues to fire up shots from long range and he is making them at an elite rate.

Sullinger has made 46.2 percent of his 3-pointers over his last 13 games, dating back to Nov. 14. That number ranks 16th in the entire NBA among players who have attempted at least 20 3s since that date.

The list of sharpshooters who have been unable to keep up with Sullinger during that time frame is staggering. The likes of Danny Green (45.3 percent), J.J. Redick (45.1 percent), Courtney Lee (43.8 percent), Stephen Curry (42.9 percent), Klay Thompson (41.0 percent), Paul Pierce (39.2 percent), James Harden (35.6 percent) and many, many more are staring up at Sullinger on that list.

Don’t think for one second that this comes as a result of a small sample size, either. Sullinger’s 52 3-point attempts since Nov. 14 ranks in the top 30 among all NBA players.

The real reason for this drastic improvement, as Sullinger attests, is his work ethic. He’s been putting in the time and effort to get to where he is today.

“Just constantly shooting, whether it’s in the gym with coaches or by myself late at night,” Sullinger claims as the key to his turnaround. “Just shooting. Just getting a lot of shots up.”

It also doesn’t hurt that Sullinger’s teammates have been calling on him to continue to take those shots during games. The third-year player remembered one particular story when he was asked about how he battled through his early-season struggles.

“I think it was one game where I caught the ball at the top of the key and I was like semi-open and I passed it up,” Sullinger remembered, “and Rondo came up to me and was like, ‘Sully, shoot the ball!’”

Those moment drove an important message home for Sullinger.

“They have a lot of confidence in me,” he said of his teammates. “They want me to take that shot, and I’m going to continue to take that shot.”

As he should, and from three particular areas of the court.

The NBA logs 3-point attempts into two categories: corner 3s and above-the-break 3s. There are two corner-3 locations (one on each side of the court) and three above-the-break locations (the top of the key and the two wings). Sullinger feels his sweet spot falls in the latter areas.

“I think mine is just anywhere above the break, that’s easiest for me,” he said. “I’m not really a corner 3 guy.”

The numbers tend to agree. Forty-nine of Sullinger’s 52 3-point attempts since Nov. 14 have been from above the break. He has shot 46.9 percent on those attempts, including sizzling percentages of 53.8 percent (7-of-13) from the top of the key and 55.6 percent (10-of-18) from the right wing. Both of those percentages are far above the league average.

What a difference a month makes. Four weeks ago, Sullinger was a liability to Boston’s offense when he fired from long distance. Now it’s a liability for defenses to leave him unguarded behind the arc.

[TheFlex]

[Monkhouse]

TP for the picture that made me spill coffee all over my computer..... Jerk... 

[manl_lui]

TP for the picture that made me spill coffee all over my computer..... Jerk... 

o god, we got ourselves a new Antoine Walker

[jpotter33]

Two points:

1) This is the exact reason I think Sully ends up being a much better player than Olynyk, because he listens to those telling him to shoot.  I don't know, maybe I'm conditioned from years of watching a passive Green and Rondo consistently passing up open shots to like aggressiveness. But if Olynyk would be as aggressive as Sully is on the offensive end, he'd be extremely hard to defend.

2) I wonder why Sully hardly shoots the three from the corner. I'm guessing it's due to his place in the offense that puts him above the break more than in the corner. Also, I know they say the corner three is the most efficient three point shot due to the shorter distance, but in high school in college it always seemed the corner three was the hardest to make.  There seems to be a much lower margin of error for baseline shots, and I know many teams we faced discouraged them.

[Fafnir]

2) I wonder why Sully hardly shoots the three from the corner. I'm guessing it's due to his place in the offense that puts him above the break more than in the corner. Also, I know they say the corner three is the most efficient three point shot due to the shorter distance, but in high school in college it always seemed the corner three was the hardest to make.  There seems to be a much lower margin of error for baseline shots, and I know many teams we faced discouraged them.

A new study using the SVU cameras actually indicated that the reason corner threes are more accurate is that they tend to be more open. Once the distance of the defense was accounted for they weren't more accurate than other three point shots.

[jpotter33]

2) I wonder why Sully hardly shoots the three from the corner. I'm guessing it's due to his place in the offense that puts him above the break more than in the corner. Also, I know they say the corner three is the most efficient three point shot due to the shorter distance, but in high school in college it always seemed the corner three was the hardest to make.  There seems to be a much lower margin of error for baseline shots, and I know many teams we faced discouraged them.

A new study using the SVU cameras actually indicated that the reason corner threes are more accurate is that they tend to be more open. Once the distance of the defense was accounted for they weren't more accurate than other three point shots.

Hmmm, that's interesting. TP!

[KeepRondo]

Those threes are nice but I can't look pass his bad defense. He's gotta be the worst defender on the team.

[Monkhouse]

Those threes are nice but I can't look pass his bad defense. He's gotta be the worst defender on the team.

Ummm, and where are the stats to back up this outrageous claim. 

The Celtics allow 108.3 points per 100 possessions when Turner's on the floor. No player has a worse impact. When Turner sits, that number drops down to 101. This is the difference between the eighth- and 26th-ranked unit in the league. He easily gets lost.

[SHAQATTACK]

Swaggie  THREE

[PickNRoll]

2) I wonder why Sully hardly shoots the three from the corner. I'm guessing it's due to his place in the offense that puts him above the break more than in the corner. Also, I know they say the corner three is the most efficient three point shot due to the shorter distance, but in high school in college it always seemed the corner three was the hardest to make.  There seems to be a much lower margin of error for baseline shots, and I know many teams we faced discouraged them.

A new study using the SVU cameras actually indicated that the reason corner threes are more accurate is that they tend to be more open. Once the distance of the defense was accounted for they weren't more accurate than other three point shots.

Very interesting.  I've always wondered about that.  To me, corner threes are more difficult than shots from the wing even though they're shorter.  Something about the added visual perspective you get from seeing the backboard.  I also prefer a wing 3 to a straight on 3.  Aiming with the aid of concentric rectangles is just much easier for me than aiming at a side view of the rim.

[KeepRondo]

Those threes are nice but I can't look pass his bad defense. He's gotta be the worst defender on the team.

Ummm, and where are the stats to back up this outrageous claim. 

The Celtics allow 108.3 points per 100 possessions when Turner's on the floor. No player has a worse impact. When Turner sits, that number drops down to 101. This is the difference between the eighth- and 26th-ranked unit in the league. He easily gets lost.

Turner has played out of position for large parts of the season and had to guard point guards. This is why NBA stat geeks who over use stats gets annoying.

[Monkhouse]

Those threes are nice but I can't look pass his bad defense. He's gotta be the worst defender on the team.

Ummm, and where are the stats to back up this outrageous claim. 

The Celtics allow 108.3 points per 100 possessions when Turner's on the floor. No player has a worse impact. When Turner sits, that number drops down to 101. This is the difference between the eighth- and 26th-ranked unit in the league. He easily gets lost.

Turner has played out of position for large parts of the season and had to guard point guards. This is why NBA stat geeks who over use stats gets annoying.

Since I'm pretty sure that was a shot at me, I will just respond with if you're just going to make up something that has no stats to back it up, guess what? It's not true, cause its an opinion. And that's really annoying.

[KeepRondo]

Those threes are nice but I can't look pass his bad defense. He's gotta be the worst defender on the team.

Ummm, and where are the stats to back up this outrageous claim. 

The Celtics allow 108.3 points per 100 possessions when Turner's on the floor. No player has a worse impact. When Turner sits, that number drops down to 101. This is the difference between the eighth- and 26th-ranked unit in the league. He easily gets lost.

Turner has played out of position for large parts of the season and had to guard point guards. This is why NBA stat geeks who over use stats gets annoying.

Since I'm pretty sure that was a shot at me, I will just respond with if you're just going to make up something that has no stats to back it up, guess what? It's not true, cause its an opinion. And that's really annoying.

Watch the games. It's not an outrageous claim. Sully is consistently slow to rotate. There are numerous times when the other big has to rotate and Sully doesn't even make an effort to slide over to meet the other big at the rim. Hopefully Sully gets himself into better shape and starts playing harder on defense. If he does he can be real force in the league. But right now I gotta say that Olynyk has been a lot more active on Defense and out playing Sully. Maybe Olynyk fouls out like he did in that Washington game, but he still made the attempt to get into position. Sully is not even getting to the spot to make a foul.

[PickNRoll]

Those threes are nice but I can't look pass his bad defense. He's gotta be the worst defender on the team.

Ummm, and where are the stats to back up this outrageous claim. 

The Celtics allow 108.3 points per 100 possessions when Turner's on the floor. No player has a worse impact. When Turner sits, that number drops down to 101. This is the difference between the eighth- and 26th-ranked unit in the league. He easily gets lost.

Turner has played out of position for large parts of the season and had to guard point guards. This is why NBA stat geeks who over use stats gets annoying.

Since I'm pretty sure that was a shot at me, I will just respond with if you're just going to make up something that has no stats to back it up, guess what? It's not true, cause its an opinion. And that's really annoying.

"Larry Bird made his teammates better."  Fact?  Falsehood? Enigma? Unprovable claim?

Opinions can be true, and stats can't prove anything with certitude.  Basketball is a game with an infinite number of variables, most of which can't even be quantized.