Jared Sullinger Ht: 6-10 Wt: 281 Notes: Measured 6'10 with a 7'1 wingspan at the 2011 Amare Skills Academy. <hr/> Sullinger is a Top 10 lock. I would not be surprised to see him made a top 5 pick.
ThomasRobinson Ht: 6-8 Wt: 240 Notes: Measured 6'10 (in shoes) 240 lbs, with a 7'1 wingspan at the 2011 Amare Stoudemire Skills Academy. <hr/> Assuming they used the same measuring tape at the Amare Stoudemire Skills Academy for both Sullinger and Robinson, they should be about the same height.
The accuracy of height will be debated until the combine, but the fact is, the guy plays bigger than he is, whether that be 6'6", 6'8", or 6'10". He has a knack for rebounding, and scoring inside. That, at any size, is a dieing art in the NBA, and extremely valuable.
tonight shows why Jared Sullinger isn't worth the lottery pick. Can't score against length inside and can't shoot.
I'm not that high on Sullinger but he's about a 12-13 pick, which is within the lottery. I doubt very much he goes top 10. His poor lateral and vertical will hamper him much more in the NBA than in college. It could be a rude awakening.
Maybe he'll be like DeJuan Blair. Lacking both hops and 1st step explosion, he ain't gonna be a low-post scorer against starters in the NBA. I could see him putting up points and grabbing rebounds against reserves.
He's a lot bigger than Blair, and healthier. Sullinger is rumored to be 6'10" in shoes, which would make him 3.5 inches taller than Blair. "A rich man's DeJuan Blair" is a very good player. Don't assume Blair will never get it done against starters, either--he's only 22 and he has averaged over 17 PER each year through his career. Luis Scola doesn't have elite hops or first step, nor Al Jefferson, nor Kevin Love, nor Carlos Boozer, nor Zachary Randolph, need I go on? Plenty of examples of guys with comparable athleticism to Sullinger turning into players ranging from "solid starter" to "all-star".
I don't see Sullinger becoming any of those guys, but you never know. Hey, Boozer was a 2nd round draft choice. He'll get his chance to prove it on the court, but I definitely wouldn't draft him high in the 1st round.
One of Jared Sullingers Legs and longer than the other I forsee a lot of back problems with this guy in the future
Sully had problems with Withey, who btw may have put himself on draft radar tonight. I was more impressed with Withey than i was with Sullinger, even though he had a good game. Sullinger will be this years #14 pick.
Withy was on nba radar before tonight so it's not like sullinger had problems against a scrub. The problem is withy is a very good back up center at the next level and if that is giving sullinger problems in the college game I wouldn't bet money on him becoming anything more than a solid role player maybe starter but not an Allstar. Robinson on the other hand looked taller to me on tv when I saw them next to each other. To me Robinson showed me why he should be the number 2 pick in the draft behind Davis. He has willed his team to victory on the big tv games this year against some of the best teams in college. He didn't start very good but he finished liked the best player in college basketball. If he measures out at 6'10 I think he goes number 2 if he is only 6'9 I still think he goes top 5 his potential is very high. Hes got a very good and quick jump hook with his right hand from either block, if his jump shot comes around he's gonna be a monster on the next level. Players that play with passion like him and is physically talented like him are a very rare combo that nobody talks about but might be the most single telling fact on if a player is going to be a superstar. If I was the rockets I would trade almost anyone for him this yr.
Probably not that low. Withey has been a great defender all year. Robinson would have had the same trouble playing against Withey. Still I would take Henson over him and even Odom so maybe you are right. But I am just not as impressed with the Zeller brothers and Barnes so I still see him around 10.
Keep in mind that part of Sullinger's struggles against length is the relative infrequency he goes up against it. There aren't many guys like Jeff Withey and Thomas Robinson around at the college level. Sullinger has fabulous post moves and footwork, and 95% of the time, he doesn't have to get creative. He'll have a new set of coaches this summer, though, and comparable players to go up against in practice every day. I agree that he's not a top-five guy, but his footwork and fundamentals are so good that I can't see him falling out of the top 10. He needs work, but has a solid base to build from.
What is the difference between this guy and Kevin Love at the college level? Who would have ever thought Kevin Love would be this good in the NBA? Sullinger can definitely get there and it seems like he's trying to emulate Love's game. He's even shooting 3s this year.