How Bad Does Sullinger Have to Play Before People Want to Bench Him?

[LooseCannon]

There are plenty of posters on here that would love nothing more than for what you suggest to actually take place. You must be avoiding the game threads. I should probably start doing the same.

But you don't see people starting critical threads about Sullinger after every bad game like you do about other players.

[LooseCannon]

Hate to say it, but it occurred to me watching last night that he looks heavier than when the season started, which is mind boggling, if true. He also had a defeated look about him. Like last year, he has runs of games where he looks like a real talent, but he also has long stretches where he looks like he isn't engaged. Perhaps he has mild bipolar issues. The overall result is a guy who mostly scores around the rim but is only a career 44% shooter.

One of my concerns about Sullinger is that he seems like the kind of player who might get fat after his first big contract.

[fairweatherfan]

It's not how bad. It's how long the bad play lasts.

If Sully plays like this for 10-12 games, then sure, stick his ass on the bench.

3-4 games? Forget about it. Sully was playing very well up until recently. One of the team's best players. Not changing the starting lineup and all the rotations every time a player has a couple of bad games. You'll cause far more damage to your team than benefit. NBA players need consistent role and consistent minutes to be at their best.

3-4 weeks vs 3-4 games.

It was the same with Olynyk at the start of the season for me. I wanted him to get a good run in the starting lineup to see how things went. No rushing to decisions. Olynyk had a good run of games (12 or so starts) but he played like garbage and deserved to lose his spot.

I'd agree with this.  Everyone has their slumps.  3-4 games is nothing alarming.

And since the likely replacement would be Olynyk, you've gotta consider that he's just a couple weeks away from a slump that was arguably worse.  No sense in making a revolving door at the 4 spot, stick with Sully for another week or two at least.

[Celtics4ever]

The fact is we have two poor defensive power forwards, that have similar skill sets. Both can't jump, or are very athletic, or can defend the rim or play D.
Both pass well, handle the ball, and score fairly well. Both are similar in age and experience. Both have more up side remaining.
One of these young PF we have should go. So this organization can bring in a defensive minded, rim protecting, power forward that can blend with the remaining offensive minded PF we have remaining. (An Ed Davis type or better)
Naturally we also need a solid center to build a front line that isn't so helpless defending the rim.

I heartily concur +1 TP

I think we are starting him so we can move him.

[2short]

prior to this "slump" sully was playing very well
near starter level
but that is the problem, i don't see bass, kelly or sully as being a quality starter
you can always get away with one solid starter on a good team (see perk, bass etc)
we have rondo and green then subs 

if sully sits do you start kelly who wasn't consistent as a starter, start bass who seems to be steady but can offer you the same production in less minutes than starter minutes

i'm waiting for ainge to do something with a power forward, shooting guard and pick(s)
I can handle zeller as a center if we have a serious starting pf, I like ko off bench for either position, add a better center any of our pf guys can be a good starter

its confusing!

[SHAQATTACK]

I wonder if his back is bothering him again.

[PickNRoll]

About twice as bad as KO in his slump.

When Sully slumps he still cleans the glass though.

[Who]

It really is incredible just how bad Sullinger has been over last few games.

When he has had bad spells in the past, it has never been this bad (outside of first two months or so of rookie year). Even when his shot hasn't fallen in the past, Sully still found a way to contribute something. To use his rebounding, passing and defense to give something to the team. To try and find some way to help the team. The effort was always there with Sully. Not always the execution or the end result but always the effort.

Not this time though ... this time Sully's non-scoring contributions have bottomed out along with his shot. His defensive effort has been absolutely appalling.

I wonder if he is playing through an injury or something. His play is so bad that is hard to believe it is just a poor run of form.

[manl_lui]

he'd need to play worst than our backup PF for him to be benched. Like KO playing the C role worst than Zeller (I understand KO is a PF)

Bass and KO would have to consistently outplay Sully before he would be benched

[Kadin]

It's not looking good for the C's at all.

All of our players are complete garbage. Sully is showing that he is trash. KO has a good offensive game from time to time but he has no future as a starter in the NBA. Smart can't even stay healthy, Rondo has clearly stopped caring at this point, Bradley sucks at shooting the 3 but he takes a million of them a day.

We are screwed. There is no future for this team at all.

[TheFlex]

prior to this "slump" sully was playing very well
near starter level
but that is the problem, i don't see bass, kelly or sully as being a quality starter
you can always get away with one solid starter on a good team (see perk, bass etc)
we have rondo and green then subs 

if sully sits do you start kelly who wasn't consistent as a starter, start bass who seems to be steady but can offer you the same production in less minutes than starter minutes

i'm waiting for ainge to do something with a power forward, shooting guard and pick(s)
I can handle zeller as a center if we have a serious starting pf, I like ko off bench for either position, add a better center any of our pf guys can be a good starter

its confusing!

Prior the slump Sully was performing somewhere in between starting level PF and All-Star level PF.

[kozlodoev]

Prior to the slump, Sullinger was making ~3 threes per game at ~45% shooting clip. Did people really think this was sustainable? 

[Celtics4ever]

Prior the slump Sully was performing somewhere in between starting level PF and All-Star level PF.

All star in what league, NBA DL?   His D is horrible and was horrible in his player earlier in the year.

You want to know the reason for his slump.  He hangs out at the three point line most of the time.  He is trying to be something he is not, Kyle Korver.  Of course, it is less work than going inside.   He struggles against elite athletic ability and good length because of his athletic limitations and size.

He is shooting .37% from the field in December, yet is shooting .48% from three point land.  His PPG went down from 16.2 to 9.8 PPG.  His rebounds went from 8.8 RPG to 8.4 RPG.  His D was bad both times.   But trying to be something your not, hurts one's game.   It can be weapon, the three point shot, but when it is a sole weapon, it is easier to guard and teams can adapt.   

Other teams never had had to double him.  Usually good players demand double teams or and all star something even triple teams.   All they have to do to Sully is put a tall guy on him, doesn't have to be a mobile big, because he is slower than concrete, and the big will be able to bother his jumper.   Downlow with his rump, and that jump hook he can still score.   I think he has shot so many threes though that it has changed his normal shot.   What used to be a good mid range is now spotty.

We are never going to win with him, at a high level as a starter.

All of our players are complete garbage. Sully is showing that he is trash. KO has a good offensive game from time to time but he has no future as a starter in the NBA. Smart can't even stay healthy, Rondo has clearly stopped caring at this point, Bradley sucks at shooting the 3 but he takes a million of them a day.

We are screwed. There is no future for this team at all

Being from Ohio and having seen a lot more OSU games than the lot of you.   I have known Sully's faults a lot better and I was against us drafting him.  He came into the league a skilled player but his athletic upside is small.   In some ways, KO is the same kind of guy, skilled but limited.   Both of these guys do not seem to be really mentally tough, a slump kills their confidence and last a long time and you can never build around guys that weak in the head.   

I think all is not lost.   I think Smart's play style is a lot like Crash's and he will get dinged up a lot because he throws his body around and plays hard.   I think we have some good backups on the team.   KO and Sully, are poor defenders but both would be decent backups and ditto for Bradley.   We just need to land a wing or SG that can score, a starting caliber C who can D and a lot of our problems would be less magnified.

We have a lot of picks coming up if we can get an athletic big men and a scorer, I for one think it will help a lot.   A good C could hide a lot of the Concrete Galoshes Brothers (Sully and KO) problems.  But I think they are pieces and not building blocks.

[BleedGreen1989]

It really is incredible just how bad Sullinger has been over last few games.

When he has had bad spells in the past, it has never been this bad (outside of first two months or so of rookie year). Even when his shot hasn't fallen in the past, Sully still found a way to contribute something. To use his rebounding, passing and defense to give something to the team. To try and find some way to help the team. The effort was always there with Sully. Not always the execution or the end result but always the effort.

Not this time though ... this time Sully's non-scoring contributions have bottomed out along with his shot. His defensive effort has been absolutely appalling.

I wonder if he is playing through an injury or something. His play is so bad that is hard to believe it is just a poor run of form.

This is the biggest thing to me. At least in his rookie year when he would struggle with his shot, he would still grab 10-12 rebounds and give a solid defensive effort.

He just looks awful right now.

[Celtics4ever]

Did he help his case laughing after a bad play the other night?