WALTHAM, Mass. – Every year since he has been in the NBA, Jared Sullinger’s 3-point shooting numbers have improved.
And while it remains a part of his scoring arsenal, the 6-foot-9 forward plans to spend more time – a lot more time – instead going to work around the basket.
“Take the open shot when I have it, but make an emphasis of getting my big butt on the block and move some people around,” Sullinger said.
Credit his time spent this summer with former NBA coach and player John Lucas who has worked with a number of current and former NBA players in the summer to help them with their games.
Sullinger recalled being in a pick-up game this summer in Houston under Lucas' watch when he hit four consecutive 3s.
After the fourth one, Lucas stopped the play and had some very sharp and succinct words for Sullinger.
“John cussed me out big time,” Sullinger said. “John stops the whole open gym process and says – I can’t really say what he said – he said, 'get my big … on the block; stop trailing for jump-shots and get on the block.' That right there was my biggest wake-up call. He knows I can shoot the basketball. But he also knows I need to be on the block more and get to the free throw line more.”
Boston Celtics
The numbers don’t lie.
When it comes to making an impact offensively around the basket, Sullinger is arguably the team’s best player.
His 3.1 second-chance points per game was tops among the Celtics players, and his 6.5 points in the paint per game average ranked second only to Tyler Zeller (6.6 PITP) among returners.
When it comes to shooting from the perimeter or closer to the basket, Celtics head coach Brad Stevens is comfortable with Sullinger doing both with one caveat.
“My emphasis is make the right basketball play,” Stevens said. “The right basketball play won’t appear in any predetermined fashion. The game will tell you what to do. There will be opportunities down there. There will be opportunities for open shots. There will be free throws, post-ups … those things happen as a result of the game.”
And the challenges Sullinger is experiencing are not all that different than what the rest of his teammates are going through, Stevens said.
“We’re all striving to improve,” Stevens said. “It’s what’s available. Like who you are playing against, who’s guarding you, your advantages … all of our players have to figure that out on a nightly basis.”