Can someone please explain the what the issue is with Sully?

[D.o.s.]

Antwan Jamison wasn't a bad player. 6'9 good passing, shooting, post play, speed. He didn't make more Allstars because there were better Fowards in his time. From 00-10 he was pretty much a 20/8 guy shooting 45% (and 34% from 3).

He's probably going to be the only guy to finish with the kind of career numbers he has that won't make the Hall of Fame.

[knuckleballer]

There are a few problems with his weight.  First, he doesn't have the quickness to defend a lot of 4s in the league.  If he was at about 260 he would be much more effective and he could play the 4 full time which I think would be his best position. 

Second is the combination of his age, his lifetime of weight issues, and his consistent weight gain.  He was 268 at the combine and was considered overweight.  He gained weight during his first season, gained weight during last season, and looks to have gained weight this offseason.  I'm guessing he's pushing 300 now.  That's a scary pattern for a 22 year old as it will only get harder to keep the weight off.  Shaq by comparison was quite ripped at the same age and gained his weight gradually over a twenty year career.

Third, it's only going to add to his back problem.

[Jonny CC]

I don't get it either, his weight hasn't been a detriment in his career so far, so why would it suddenly be one now?

And that's not even mentioning the fact that there's pretty much no way he can come into camp in worse shape than last season, when he had to spend most of the offseason not working out to recover from the surgery.

I don't know, I guess I just don't see the weight as a huge detriment to his game (which isn't based on athleticism), especially since the offseason isn't over and he still has a lot of time to finish his conditioning

He is bigger than ever so his weigh is a concern.  Do you think being overweight and out of shape will help him??  Maybe he thinks he can be the next Oliver Miller.

[Piasecki8]

If he winds up even close to Jamison's production, the celtics and us as fans will be very lucky. Please, please, please do not compare him to Kevin Love or any all-stars today for that matter. He is not and more than likely will not be that type of player at all in his career. The expectations of our fan base for our players is so unrealistic sometimes. Can we just let him get his 12-14 points and 7-10 rebounds and be happy with that. I'm sorry but he's not going to double his production and turn into 25 and 12(Love) because he sheds some weight. There are other players on this team that provide other roles that help complete the team. They are not all going to be all-star caliber players in their prime and Sullinger is not the exception.

[BitterJim]

I don't get it either, his weight hasn't been a detriment in his career so far, so why would it suddenly be one now?

And that's not even mentioning the fact that there's pretty much no way he can come into camp in worse shape than last season, when he had to spend most of the offseason not working out to recover from the surgery.

I don't know, I guess I just don't see the weight as a huge detriment to his game (which isn't based on athleticism), especially since the offseason isn't over and he still has a lot of time to finish his conditioning

He is bigger than ever so his weigh is a concern.  Do you think being overweight and out of shape will help him??  Maybe he thinks he can be the next Oliver Miller.

Being bigger doesn't necessarily mean he's out of shape.  From watching a video, you don't know if he looks bigger due to gaining muscle, what his plans are for the rest of the offseason, or what kind of overall shape he's in. 

Should he lose a little weight?  Yeah, if it's not at the expense of muscle.  Is his current body the same one he'll go into the season with?  No.  People just need to stop overreacting to how he looks in a freakin' video

[hpantazo]

If he winds up even close to Jamison's production, the celtics and us as fans will be very lucky. Please, please, please do not compare him to Kevin Love or any all-stars today for that matter. He is not and more than likely will not be that type of player at all in his career. The expectations of our fan base for our players is so unrealistic sometimes. Can we just let him get his 12-14 points and 7-10 rebounds and be happy with that. I'm sorry but he's not going to double his production and turn into 25 and 12(Love) because he sheds some weight. There are other players on this team that provide other roles that help complete the team. They are not all going to be all-star caliber players in their prime and Sullinger is not the exception.

I respectfully disagree with your assertion that he will never put up those type of numbers if he loses weight. His PER 36 numbers last year, when he strugglled to stay on the floor from foul trouble and conditioning issues, were:

Sullinger's 2nd season:  17.3 points and 10.6 rebounds. per 36 minutes

Love's 2nd season:        17.7 points and 13.8 rebounds per 36 minutes

If he gets in just decent shape, he has the skills to put up Kevin Love type numbers, and their game is actually pretty similar.

[aingeforthree]

I've always been happy with Sulllinger's play. He's a good passer, he boxes out, grabs boards, plays decent man D... Why are people so concerned with his weight? I've seen, "he's playing his way out of the league, he's seriously gotta lose weight, etc." But if he's producing, what's the issue?

By the way, I'm not attacking anyone, instead just trying to understand alternative viewpoints.

I'm with ya on this.  I have no idea why he gets attacked in regards to his weight, etc.  He's no Oliver Miller, and if I'm him, I continue to trust in Ainge and Stevens.  He's 22, & has the skill set to be a darn good player in this league for 10 + years.  Continue the development as far as I'm concerned.  Helluva prospect.

[Csfan1984]

If he winds up even close to Jamison's production, the celtics and us as fans will be very lucky. Please, please, please do not compare him to Kevin Love or any all-stars today for that matter. He is not and more than likely will not be that type of player at all in his career. The expectations of our fan base for our players is so unrealistic sometimes. Can we just let him get his 12-14 points and 7-10 rebounds and be happy with that. I'm sorry but he's not going to double his production and turn into 25 and 12(Love) because he sheds some weight. There are other players on this team that provide other roles that help complete the team. They are not all going to be all-star caliber players in their prime and Sullinger is not the exception.

I respectfully disagree with your assertion that he will never put up those type of numbers if he loses weight. His PER 36 numbers last year, when he strugglled to stay on the floor from foul trouble and conditioning issues, were:

Sullinger's 2nd season:  17.3 points and 10.6 rebounds. per 36 minutes

Love's 2nd season:        17.7 points and 13.8 rebounds per 36 minutes

If he gets in just decent shape, he has the skills to put up Kevin Love type numbers, and their game is actually pretty similar.

Sully will never be Kevin Love. Look at that rebound difference. Also height and skill is clearly an edge to Love.

[hpantazo]

I don't get it either, his weight hasn't been a detriment in his career so far, so why would it suddenly be one now?

And that's not even mentioning the fact that there's pretty much no way he can come into camp in worse shape than last season, when he had to spend most of the offseason not working out to recover from the surgery.

I don't know, I guess I just don't see the weight as a huge detriment to his game (which isn't based on athleticism), especially since the offseason isn't over and he still has a lot of time to finish his conditioning

He is bigger than ever so his weigh is a concern.  Do you think being overweight and out of shape will help him??  Maybe he thinks he can be the next Oliver Miller.

Yeah, I mean, even Sullinger recently stated that being out of shape has hurt him on the court:

""I think conditioning was a big factor," Sullinger said when asked what he's trying to improve this offseason. "Late in the game, I'd get tired and stop doing the things that I normally do in the first quarter. I think conditioning will kind of help that out. "

http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/celtics/post/_/id/4713704/sullinger-works-up-a-summer-sweat


The worrisome part is that when they asked him if he lost weight, he answered that's not his goal, his goal is to improve his conditioning. So basically he didn't lose weight yet.

[Greenbean]

Its because of conditioning. If he was fat and could still play 35 mpg, people would be quiet.

To reach his potential,he needs to increase stamina.

[hpantazo]

If he winds up even close to Jamison's production, the celtics and us as fans will be very lucky. Please, please, please do not compare him to Kevin Love or any all-stars today for that matter. He is not and more than likely will not be that type of player at all in his career. The expectations of our fan base for our players is so unrealistic sometimes. Can we just let him get his 12-14 points and 7-10 rebounds and be happy with that. I'm sorry but he's not going to double his production and turn into 25 and 12(Love) because he sheds some weight. There are other players on this team that provide other roles that help complete the team. They are not all going to be all-star caliber players in their prime and Sullinger is not the exception.

I respectfully disagree with your assertion that he will never put up those type of numbers if he loses weight. His PER 36 numbers last year, when he strugglled to stay on the floor from foul trouble and conditioning issues, were:

Sullinger's 2nd season:  17.3 points and 10.6 rebounds. per 36 minutes

Love's 2nd season:        17.7 points and 13.8 rebounds per 36 minutes

If he gets in just decent shape, he has the skills to put up Kevin Love type numbers, and their game is actually pretty similar.

Sully will never be Kevin Love. Look at that rebound difference. Also height and skill is clearly an edge to Love.

Ok, but when he starts putting up Kevin Love type numbers if he gets in shape this season, I'm sure your response will be that his numbers are inflated because he's on a bad team.....well.....just like Love has been his whole career.

[RJ87]

If he winds up even close to Jamison's production, the celtics and us as fans will be very lucky. Please, please, please do not compare him to Kevin Love or any all-stars today for that matter. He is not and more than likely will not be that type of player at all in his career. The expectations of our fan base for our players is so unrealistic sometimes. Can we just let him get his 12-14 points and 7-10 rebounds and be happy with that. I'm sorry but he's not going to double his production and turn into 25 and 12(Love) because he sheds some weight. There are other players on this team that provide other roles that help complete the team. They are not all going to be all-star caliber players in their prime and Sullinger is not the exception.

I respectfully disagree with your assertion that he will never put up those type of numbers if he loses weight. His PER 36 numbers last year, when he strugglled to stay on the floor from foul trouble and conditioning issues, were:

Sullinger's 2nd season:  17.3 points and 10.6 rebounds. per 36 minutes

Love's 2nd season:        17.7 points and 13.8 rebounds per 36 minutes

If he gets in just decent shape, he has the skills to put up Kevin Love type numbers, and their game is actually pretty similar.

Sully will never be Kevin Love. Look at that rebound difference. Also height and skill is clearly an edge to Love.

For accuracy sake, Love and Sully are both 6' 7.75" without shoes, and 6' 9" with shoes. Sully has a slightly longer wingspan than Love though at 7' 1.25" compared to Love at 6' 11.25".

As far as skillset, Love is a better shooter at the moment and I think he will always be the better rebounder. I don't think there's a vast difference in their skillset. Just work ethic.

[Evantime34]

If he winds up even close to Jamison's production, the celtics and us as fans will be very lucky. Please, please, please do not compare him to Kevin Love or any all-stars today for that matter. He is not and more than likely will not be that type of player at all in his career. The expectations of our fan base for our players is so unrealistic sometimes. Can we just let him get his 12-14 points and 7-10 rebounds and be happy with that. I'm sorry but he's not going to double his production and turn into 25 and 12(Love) because he sheds some weight. There are other players on this team that provide other roles that help complete the team. They are not all going to be all-star caliber players in their prime and Sullinger is not the exception.

I respectfully disagree with your assertion that he will never put up those type of numbers if he loses weight. His PER 36 numbers last year, when he strugglled to stay on the floor from foul trouble and conditioning issues, were:

Sullinger's 2nd season:  17.3 points and 10.6 rebounds. per 36 minutes

Love's 2nd season:        17.7 points and 13.8 rebounds per 36 minutes

If he gets in just decent shape, he has the skills to put up Kevin Love type numbers, and their game is actually pretty similar.

Sully will never be Kevin Love. Look at that rebound difference. Also height and skill is clearly an edge to Love.

Draft Measurements
Sullinger: 6'7.75 W/O shoes, 7'1.25 wingspan
Love: 6'7.5 W/O shoes, 6'11.25 wingspan

Both these numbers are on draft express database.

Love is certainly more skilled but he isn't taller and has a shorter wingspan. However, until Sullinger loses the weight that Love did I want no part of the comparison.

[kozlodoev]

The worrisome part is that when they asked him if he lost weight, he answered that's not his goal, his goal is to improve his conditioning. So basically he didn't lose weight yet.

Even last year, Ainge was on record saying Sullinger's weight is not where they'd like him to be. I can't imagine the current situation flying any better with the staff.

[knuckleballer]

Here's a pic of Love before and after his weight loss



Here's a pic of Sully after being drafted.  Compare it to the new video.


One guy is more dedicated to his career than the other.  I actually do think Sully's potential isn't far off from Love, but he just hasn't worked as hard.