Hardwood Houdini
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Jared Sullinger Needs To Be Traded!

By Stephen Varnum

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Feb 1, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jared Sullinger (7) shoots the ball against the Miami Heat during the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

It’s that time of the year, the trade deadline week! And we know Danny Ainge, the wheelin’ and dealin’ man that he is, will be active in trade talks down to the tee until Thursday.

We have already heard about Goran Dragic, Reggie Jackson, and even Ty Lawson trade rumors, and expect more to come! The Celtics are a team of young assets, future draft picks, and veterans that can benefit the many playoff teams in the NBA.  Here in Beantown, our players appeal to the whole league!

One of those young assets is Jared Sullinger.  A guy who was promised a center this offseason…

That really never happened, but Sully had another good year anyways in the NBA.  But before Sully even came into the league, he was forecasted to have a quick, non-impactful career.  Sully, throughout his whole basketball career, had questions surrounding his health, weight, and athleticism.  As a result, Sully became a late-first round pick, falling down to a Boston Celtics team that was already stacked at his position, the power forward.

May 3, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics forward/center Kevin Garnett (5) gets a hug from head coach Doc Rivers after leaving the game during the fourth quarter in game six of the first round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs against the New York Knicks at TD Garden. The New York Knicks won 88-80. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

Thanks to Boston giving it one more run in the playoffs, Kevin Garnett was a great role model for Sully to look up to.  KG, man we miss you buddy, was his mentor and showed him the ropes.  His rookie year wasn’t too bad, averaging 6 ppg and 6 rpg, but it was cut short due to another injury and he ended up missing 27 games due to injury in his rookie season.

His next season Sully broke out! Averaging 13 ppg and 8rpg, Sully essentially played the whole season at 74 games! Proving to the media that Sully’s injury issues are a thing of the past.  This season, after getting into better shape, has been a success! Sully is still averaging around the same numbers, but is a clear leader on a young team that is looking for an identity.  You can see his improvement and leadership on the court in his recent performance against the Knicks at MSG –

Despite his growth, there are still questions for the young power forward.  I have been impressed with his conditioning up and consistent play, but even the common NBA fan can see that Sully is incredibly un-athletic.  He is a guy that relies on pure skill in his game and sometimes looks bothered by guys who are taller and have more length.  And when you go up against guys like LaMarcus Aldridge, Blake Griffin, etc.  you can clearly see the struggle Jared goes through.

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What am I getting at here? Sully might not be the power forward for our future.  There is some serious talent coming up in the NBA 2015 Draft and even on our bench (Kelly Olynyk), and to me, Sully might not be talented enough to start for us in the future.  I think Danny should seriously consider trading him for more picks/expiring contracts.  It looks like Danny’s intent is to start over, so Sully should be traded to a team where he can showcase his talents off the bench for a legit playoff team!

Jared would do well on a playoff team as a guy off the bench, maybe not starting day in and day out…do you guys agree? Vote on the poll below –

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