Before he was a two time All-American, Jared Sullinger was a
five star recruit with a rating of 100 by ESPN and depending on which scouting
group you subscribe to, fell anywhere from five to two among all high school
seniors. He won the Naismith Prep
Player of the Year and took his talents to Columbus.
And now, after averaging over 17 points and nearly 10
rebounds per game over the course of two years at Ohio State, Sullinger will be
on the outside looking in at the NBA Draft. This doesn’t mean he won’t be drafted; Sullinger will likely
still fall somewhere in the first round, but only anticipated lottery picks get
a draft day invitation.
The cause for this exclusion is the recent report that
Sullinger has the proverbial “red flag” due to health issues. Docs say it’s a back issues. Sullinger’s father claims his son is
simply suffering from tight hamstrings and quads. Some see the medical issues as a side effect of a weight problem
while others are skeptical of the 6’9” 265 pound power forward for a perceived
lack of athleticism. Regardless of
the explanation, Sullinger’s stock is going Charlie Sheen on this year’s
draft.
But will executives regret this five years down the
road? Will he even be in the
league five years down the road?
 |
| Sullinger has been excelling on the hardwood his entire life. |
In response to the first question, I hope the answer is
yes. After a promising freshman
year that would have certainly led to a top-15 selection (unless, of course, if
the health issues came up at last year’s workouts), Sullinger elected to forgo
the draft to return to Ohio State for his sophomore season.
I support any player who decides to head back to school for
another year rather than jump for the NBA, but not exactly for the reasons that
most would think. While it is true
that Sullinger doubled his college education, he is still no more than halfway
to a degree and much like predetermined one-and-done talents, you have to
wonder how much of the year Sullinger spent in the classroom and fulfilling his
educational responsibilities. To
my knowledge, he has not accelerated his learning to get a degree a la Kyrie
Irving. Still, any additional
exposure to a college learning environment is a good thing. If it’s not because of an education, at
least Sullinger is developing time-management skills and something resembling a
structured life.
Yet, even with the entire education element aside, there is
still something tangibly special about this type of decision.
For one, it takes an honest, dedicated person to recognize
that they are not ready for the professional level despite the hundreds of
people who tell them otherwise.
This may have been Sullinger’s rationale or maybe he just isn’t one to
leave objectives unfulfilled. Thad
Matta’s guys were as talented as any this season and Sullinger knew he was the
workhorse that could carry them to the Final Four. Or perhaps Sullinger, even with millions of dollars awaiting
him on draft day, understood that there is a big difference between being the
big man on campus at one of the nation’s most pressure pack and illustrious
programs and being relegated to the punching bag of a NBA roster – a fate that
awaits all rookies no matter the magnitude of their on-court contribution. Why rush through a good thing? He has twenty years to make his mark on
the Association but only a couple in college.
When I hear these types of things, I picture someone who is
serious about improvement, humbled and excited by big moments and
opportunities, honest about where he stacks up, and determined to succeed.
Which brings me back to the injury. If Sullinger is actually hampered by
some type of medical situation, I hope that his decision to return to OSU
parallels his approach to handling the adversity that he will inevitably face
on day one of his NBA career.
 |
| Although it was for different reasons, I'll bet there's one or two executives out there who wish they didn't pass on this college star. |
The fact is, the guy can ball and if you look simply at his
on-court performance throughout his
entire life, there is no doubt as to his talents. Scouts and executives too often overlook trivial things
like, you know, how good prospects are at basketball, for other characteristics
like size, vertical, and perceived athleticism. Sullinger is not only a beast in the post, but has improved
his shooting as well. While his
points/game numbers suffered a slight decrease from his freshman to sophomore
seasons, his raised his free throw percentage by nearly seven points up to 77%.
Does Sullinger have a medical problem? Is his weight an issue? Only if Sullinger allows them to
be. When was the last time a
player enter the NBA at the perfect weight? Everybody comes in too heavy or too light. And, in reality, everybody comes in
talented. Sure, for some that might
be higher, but if the first round busts and second round triumphs have proven
anything, it’s that nothing is even close to certain.
All things being equal in terms of injury and other aspects
outside of ones control, all draft picks can develop a successful career with
the right approach. It looks to me
like Jared Sullinger has it. You
just hope he doesn’t turn into the latest big man to come from OSU.
-AW
No comments:
Post a Comment