Jared Sullinger Received a Basketball Intervention

If Jared Sullinger was lacking any kind of motivation going into this season, a visit from a former number one overall pick would have certainly set him straight.

Sullinger capped off an injury riddled season with the Boston Celtics with incredible amounts of criticism regarding his conditioning. Sullinger had been a top player for the Celtics and it reached a point where his roster spot was no longer secure.

The Celtics acquired two new power forwards and have Jordan Mickey waiting to blow up putting a tremendous amount of pressure on Sullinger. A lot of different things could have impacted Sullingers mind set this offseason but one event may have ensured that he stayed on track.

Boston Herald’s Chris Mason revealed this about Sullinger’s offseason.

"When the Celtics forward arrived at his apartment later that afternoon, he was greeted by his agent, his family, and a man he’d never met, John Lucas II. It was an intervention, but an unconventional one. It was regarding his fitness. Sullinger’s weight has been a talking point since the Celtics drafted him three years ago, and it came to a head last season when he reportedly tipped the scales at 300 pounds. The C’s want to see their 6-foot-9 forward around 260. For Sullinger to stay in green, something had to change. His family and Lucas saw that. “(Lucas) personally came down and he told me, ‘You’ve got all the talent in the world, but you’ve forgotten what working hard is,’ ” Sullinger said yesterday. “For somebody to come all the way from Houston to Colombus, Ohio, to stop whatever he was doing, he was there for me, and that’s what made me go and work out for John"

If nothing else, this intervention reveals exactly how serious Sullinger’s conditioning issues were. But, it also reveals the great potential that Sullinger has. Those close to Sullinger recognized that he was doing himself a disservice by not being in proper shape. He has an opportunity to be an offensive leader for many years for the Celtics but he was holding himself back by not being in proper shape.

Apr 10, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jared Sullinger (7) grabs a rebound beside Cleveland Cavaliers center Kendrick Perkins (3) in the fourth quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Sullinger is going to be under a lot more internal and external pressure this season. Sullinger has been good for the Celtics but there is a new standard for his play. Sullinger needs to be a top offensive option and he now has a lot more players that can take minutes from him.

Jordan Mickey’s defensive potential will certainly earn him minutes in the regular season and Amir Joshnon has already been one of the more impressive players in camp. During previous seasons there has been a clear lack of talent on the Celtics and that made it a lot easier for Sullinger to coast by without having improved his conditioning.

Now that the Celtics have playoff expectations and a solid group of power forwards, Sullinger runs the risk of losing his role on the team completely. To lose Sullinger’s potential would be a tough blow for the Celtics. He is the most dynamic offensive threat the Celtics have in their front court. His combination of post play and ability to hit the three is unmatched on the Celtics.

The bigger problem may be that conditioning is not Sullinger’s only issue. Defenses have always been forced to respect Sullinger beyond the arc but sub 30% finishing will no longer be acceptable. Improving his conditioning should impact every aspect of Sullinger’s game but he may need more than that to improve his three point shooting.

Three point shooting is the biggest edge Sullinger has over every power forward, expect for Jonas Jerebko. If the intervention worked and Sullinger gets his conditioning on track and improves his three point shooting then he just may wind up being the Celtics’ MVP this season.

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