That's a true statement. Discuss away though at your hearts content.
It is not a true statement until it happens. I too, do not think he is going anywhere but I think he will have to earn his keep this year. No more lazy play, not running the court, chucking a three early in the possession.
Also, things to keep in mind, Sully is a our worst shooting big, that isn't just threes, folks. That being said he is also our best rebounder. I think he looks thinner but he looks still earthbound and slow in the videos we have seen from this summer. He still has a ways to go, but he will never be a stud athletic-wise.
I'm far more optimistic about Sullinger than many on this board. He appears to be working hard this offseason to get in shape. He'll never have a "classic" basketball shape but he looks far fitter than he has. His work with John Lucas can only help him. If he's healthy - and that's the big if - I think he'll take the next step and could end up putting up 18/10 type numbers in 30 minutes or so.
I doubt he will ever be in classic basketball shape. The man is built like a pear. He does look like he is getting in better shape but his body type is not your typical basketball player body with wide shoulders and narrow hips. That kind of body is not good at running but does well with that rump at rebounding.
He will still be a slow and incredibly earthbound player. Not to mention if Sully has even a reasonable year he's gonna be worth 10-12M at least. I am not interested in paying that for him. I don't trust him and I don't see how anyone else could at this point.
I agree. I know some hear claim want Blake Griffin athletic ability from him. That is never going to happen. He is such a poor athlete, in terms of footspeed and vertical. I think he will be better able to compete some if he is in better shape. But he is not athlete by any means. He struggles on D to help and contain penetration. He is not a guy you really build around as a central cog, as a result. Good PFs defend better and most of them shoot a whole lot better than Sully.
He is 21st in 2 point FG %, the bottom third of the league for PF at .49% which is great if your not a big. He is 19th in overall FG% which is not a stud by any means which was 44%.
http://espn.go.com/nba/statistics/player/_/stat/field-goals/position/power-forwardsHe does not even make the list on 3 Point shooting for PF. So well under 20th on that stat as well.
http://espn.go.com/nba/statistics/player/_/stat/3-points/sort/threePointFieldGoalPct/position/power-forwardsHe is top 11 in rebounds for a PF which is good.
http://espn.go.com/nba/statistics/player/_/stat/rebounds/position/power-forwards 14th in Scoring, not elite but not shabby by any means but hardly the most efficient scorer with his FG% and especially three point misses.
http://espn.go.com/nba/statistics/player/_/stat/scoring-per-game/position/power-forwardsI also think those three point misses hamper his great strength which is rebounding.
So low to mid teens in his strengths, which is solid but he has many weaknesses as well. I wonder if Ainge trusts him with it being a contact year. Why didn't he do this earlier in his career? He did not, of course, I do not want another Mark Blount situation, where he only plays hard his contract years.
Sully and Zeller are likely goners.
We can hope on the former, I suppose. But I agree, things may be a lot harder to earn the starter position with Amir and Mickey hounding his butt in practice. The same is true of Olynyk. Those guys have skills but it will be harder to get past the competition this year. Lee is a poor defender but he is a better rebounder, shooter and scorer than Sully. He was benched last year, it is possible he is decline. But he may have been replaced by other players.
I want to the best five, to play for us, even if that means Sully. I trust CBS will determine this and play them accordingly. I would yank Sully the moment he takes a play off, this next year. Prior to this year, CBS really did not have a lot of great options when this happened so he sometimes left him in. That won't be the case this year.
Don't think the Celtics Brass did not notice that our team won a lot of games without Sully. Was this solely because of his injury, nope. IT really helped. But the team did get quicker and we did play better D.
Hopefully, the best players play, whomever they be...
