Jared Sullinger was drafted No. 21 by the Boston Celtics in the 2012 NBA Draft. While Kevin Garnett hasn’t made a decision on his future, the Celtics needed to protect themselves. Is the bruiser out of Ohio State insurance for Garnett?
Nobody can compare to a surefire Hall of Fame player like Garnett, and nobody can truly replace him. With that said, the Celtics went out and got one of the most talented big men in the entire draft to make sure they would be set.
Sullinger brings a below-the-rim kind of post game that isn’t common in the NBA but can be effective. He’s listed at 6’9″ 269 pounds, and he creates a ton of power with his lower body.
He’s actually a sharp contrast to Garnett in a certain sense that Garnett could shoot over anyone and would often fade away from the basket, whereas Sullinger takes it deep into the paint and gets into the defenders chest.
Much has been made of the fact that Sullinger was medically red-flagged because of his back, but the Celtics’ doctors were confident that they were taking a small risk with the possibility of a huge reward.
One important note is that Sullinger will continue to get leaner, and in working with NBA-quality strength and conditioning coaches, he will strengthen his core, and his back issues may be much less of an issue.
Not even Lloyd’s of London would offer insurance for Garnett’s energy, but Sullinger can certainly step in and give the Celtics some production.
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