Jared Sullinger is rebounding better than ever this season
Rebounding ability has always been a weapon for Jared Sullinger. The fourth-year big man was consistently Boston’s top performer on the glass for the past two seasons, despite his modest 6-foot-9-inch frame.
That solid production did not guarantee Sullinger playing time at the start of the 2015-16 season, though. Danny Ainge brought additional frontcourt experience into the fold in David Lee and Amir Johnson in July, which didn’t come as a surprise with Sullinger regularly dealing with conditioning and durability issues for large chunks of his first three seasons. The 23-year-old appeared poised to be the odd man out of Brad Stevens’ rotation during the regular season after playing behind Boston’s four bigs for much of the preseason.
Luckily, Sullinger got his chance to highlight his strengths on opening night with Kelly Olynyk out of action due to suspension. In just 21 minutes, the big man grabbed a team-high seven rebounds off the bench, establishing himself as a vital contributor on the glass once again, despite the team’s revamped frontcourt. Weeks later, Sullinger has built upon that performance and has become not just a starter for Brad Stevens, but one of the best rebounders in the NBA during the first month of the regular season.
In a mere 25.1 minutes per game, Sullinger is averaging a career-best 9.5 rebounds, more than three rebounds more than Boston’s second-best rebounder (Amir Johnson). Stevens attributes the improvement in Sullinger’s output to not just his boarding ability, but also his overall smarter play on the defensive end of the floor.
“He’s always been a great rebounder,’’ Stevens said of Sullinger late last week. “Since watching him play as a kid, when that ball hits his hands, it sticks. I think positionally, he’s probably better defensively and that’s probably put him in a position to better rebound.
“Instead of being a little behind a play, or a little above a roller, maybe he’s below a roller and able to keep him off, or maybe he’s helping early and getting back so that he can block out appropriately so they can’t get his hands on it. As you get more aware, you get more experience, those things slow down for you about where you should be, and once you’re where you should be, talent takes over. And he’s in good defensive position often.’’
Sullinger’s sharpened defensive acumen has translated into him becoming one of the best rebounders across the league. He has snatched up 20.3 percent of all available rebounds during his minutes for Stevens. That total puts him sixth among NBA starters in rebounding percentage, ahead of superstar big men such as Kevin Love, Dwight Howard and DeMarcus Cousins.
“I really can’t say it’s always timing,’’ Sullinger said of his growth. “It’s more like I get it. I have a go-get-it mindset when it comes to rebounding. You can be selfish on rebounding and it helps your team. That’s one thing I’m selfish at is rebounding the basketball, and at the end of the day it helps my team. The more selfish I am, the better off we are.’’
Sullinger also believes the increased competition in the Boston frontcourt has aided his mindset when he goes on the floor.
“It’s just coming out with an attitude knowing that I have a level I can play at, and a certain speed, at a certain pace,’’ Sullinger said of the depth. “That’s the most important thing knowing I can go harder, longer and faster through the minutes I play. Last year I would probably try to coast, get ready for the fourth quarter, but now I have someone like David Lee backing me up, Tyler, Amir, Kelly, I can kind of go all out because there’s no drop off when there’s a sub.’’
The results speak for themselves in regards to the big man’s consistency. Sullinger has grabbed double-digit rebounds in nine of his last 12 games, helping stabilize Boston’s front line, especially with Stevens electing to go small more often with Jae Crowder at the four.
Sullinger has about 80 percent of the season left to prove his newfound steadiness and overall gains are no fluke, but with free agency looming this summer, he may be a rebounding anchor Boston can’t afford to lose.
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