Sullinger playing like a borderline All-Star

[TheFlex]

I know it's only nine games in, but Sully is having a great season that seems to be flying under the radar. He's averaging around 15 points, nine rebounds and three assists.

Most importantly, he's scoring more efficiently than he has been last season, shooting .475 from the field vs. last season's mark of .427. This, along with his improved free throw shooting, has brought his true-shooting percentage up to .524 from .497 despite a horrific three-point FG%. I expect his three-point shooting to at least level out around where it was last season -- 27% -- which should make him an even more efficient scorer.

Most encouraging of all has been his continued development of the mid-range shot and his terrific assist numbers. Sully is shooting .500 from 16 feet to the three-point line, which is KG-esque efficiency to put that number in perspective. He's also posting a 15.8% AST%, which is typically an echelon that elite passing men such as DeMarcus Cousins and Marc Gasol find themselves in. Lastly, Sully is eating up the offensive glass, as he is sixth in the league in offensive rebounding percentage.

Any thoughts? Can Sully keep this up? Can he continue to improve?

[Rondo9]

Yeah Sullinger could be a special player.

[D.o.s.]

I assume it's flying under the radar because good players on bad teams aren't worth very much excitement.

[Rondo9]

Didn't stop Kevin Love and Anthony Davis (so far for him.)

[Fafnir]

I assume it's flying under the radar because good players on bad teams aren't worth very much excitement.

Pretty much this.

DMC was shrugged at around the league till this year when the Kings started winning some games. If they fall back to earth he'll be shrugged at again..

[celticsclay]

I assume it's flying under the radar because good players on bad teams aren't worth very much excitement.

Pretty much this.

DMC was shrugged at around the league till this year when the Kings started winning some games. If they fall back to earth he'll be shrugged at again..

[TheFlex]

I assume it's flying under the radar because good players on bad teams aren't worth very much excitement.

Pretty much this.

DMC was shrugged at around the league till this year when the Kings started winning some games. If they fall back to earth he'll be shrugged at again..

This is true, but I was referring more to the lack of excitement within our own Celtics fan community. James Young comes in and hits one three and suddenly he's the next Klay Thompson, yet Sully's posting 15/9/3 and can hardly get any love. I guess the more they play, the less we like them 

[mgent]

3 assists and 1 turnover surprises me a little bit, though I doubt it lasts the year

He might be playing like a borderline All-Star if our team was number 1 in the East, but unfortunately we're a team with twice as many losses than wins.  That means his stats are significantly emptier than they look (which many people don't understand).

[D.o.s.]

Didn't stop Kevin Love and Anthony Davis (so far for him.)

This is some adorably empty contrarianism on behalf of one of our players, which I understand, but I think I have to respond with some context:

-No one really cared about Kevin Love before his 30-30 game, which came in a year where he averaged 20 points and 15 boards. Those aren't 'borderline All Star' numbers, those are numbers that put him in the 'Elite NBA Player' discussion.

-Anthony Davis, in his sophomore year, averaged 20 and 10 while leading the league in blocks with nearly three a game. Right now, over the same period we're using to evaluate Sully, he's putting up 25 points, nearly 12 rebounds, and is leading the league in blocks (four per game) and steals (2.3).

There's no comparison.

[Who]

No, he's not.

Sully is playing like a starting caliber big man but nowhere near All-Star level.

[sofutomygaha]

I think this comes down to counting stats. Sullinger has 30 minutes a night of effort in him (which is more than I'd have thought at this pace!). Love plays 37 minutes and Davis plays 36.

If Sullinger could do what he's doing now for 5-6 more minutes a night he'd be vintage Zach Randolph, with an 18/11/4 slash line and a great shot at the all-star game.

If he keeps doing what he's doing now for the same minutes, he'll definitely still be in the conversation. The East isn't packed with dominant bigs this year.

[pearljammer10]

No, he's not.

Sully is playing like a starting caliber big man but nowhere near All-Star level.

Have to agree with this. Just at his position I put Gasol, Monroe, Milsap, and Love ahead of him off the top of my head. And that's without including the Lebron and Melo stretch four experiments.

[kozlodoev]

The East isn't packed with dominant bigs this year.

It isn't?

Let's see, Vucevic, Gasol, Bosh, Love, Al Jefferson, and Tobias Harris are all putting together vastly superior seasons to Sullinger at this point. And then you have guys like Millsap, Hibbert, Horford, and even Gortat that are roughly comparable to Sullinger.

Not only is he not "borderline allstar" this year, I'd hazard a guess that at this point he has about zero chance of making it in.

[hwangjini_1]

The East isn't packed with dominant bigs this year.

It isn't?

Let's see, Vucevic, Gasol, Bosh, Love, Al Jefferson, and Tobias Harris are all putting together vastly superior seasons to Sullinger at this point. And then you have guys like Millsap, Hibbert, Horford, and even Gortat that are roughly comparable to Sullinger.

Not only is he not "borderline allstar" this year, I'd hazard a guess that at this point he has about zero chance of making it in.

well, if you continue to use reality as the basis for your posts, there will be no room for you here at cb.

[Rondo9]

Didn't stop Kevin Love and Anthony Davis (so far for him.)

This is some adorably empty contrarianism on behalf of one of our players, which I understand, but I think I have to respond with some context:

-No one really cared about Kevin Love before his 30-30 game, which came in a year where he averaged 20 points and 15 boards. Those aren't 'borderline All Star' numbers, those are numbers that put him in the 'Elite NBA Player' discussion.

-Anthony Davis, in his sophomore year, averaged 20 and 10 while leading the league in blocks with nearly three a game. Right now, over the same period we're using to evaluate Sully, he's putting up 25 points, nearly 12 rebounds, and is leading the league in blocks (four per game) and steals (2.3).

There's no comparison.

I understand, but I'm just saying that there are players like Love and Davis that get a lot praise despite playing on bad teams most due to the fact that their talent sticks out.