He is in the rotation for the Celtics and performing capably. 16 rebounds tonight. HOU passed on him 3 times and 2 of the picks none of them are contributing (Lamb was traded, but also hanging out in DLeague with Jones, White is, of course, MIA). Folks (me included) got worried about his ability to deal with NBA height/length, but he seems to be adjusting better than most rookies.
Good question. At first I wondered why we got Jones instead of him, but now I want him instead of White. I think 29 teams feel this way after every draft. I still think Jones will perform well in the NBA.
Right now I'd take any other player in the draft instead of White because he's not even a basketball player.
We left him behind because he had injury concerns, and White seemed superior at everything- attitude (everyone was screaming give him a chance he's mentally awesome), talent and health. He had a serious problem with bulging discs or whatever, and his physical measurements weren't that good either. He's looking good now, but the only way to judge someone like him with health risks is 2-3 years down the road, when the grind of the NBA starts wearing on his health. At the time, White over Sully was a no brainer, I doubt the Celts would have taken him if they had our pick.
I wouldn't call it a no brainer. Sullinger was a beast in college. If not for that bulging disk he would have been a top 10 pick. We took a chance on a player with mental health problems instead of physical health problems and we are losing out so far. Still early though.
Honestly would rather have Jones based on what I have seen. Sullinger also does not fit our style of play. I will say this, Sullinger has some of the best hands in the post that I have ever seen.
everyone said the same thing when dejuan blair blew up for a while. Dude is in his 4th year and can't get more than 15 mpg even when Duncan is old as balls and has to rest a lot. His per36 stats have fallen off since his rookie/soph years. Maybe those injuries do hinder development and/or ever playing a lot. But maybe these types of guys are worth a look at least for solid, though limited action for a few years?
Long term. He might not be playing past his 4th or 5th year in the league. At the rate we're developing rookies, doesn't seem like a great pick for us.
He went from potentially being a Top 5 pick to falling out of the lottery because of his injury which doesn't take away from his talent so no one should really be surprised by the way he's been playing. I have no idea why so many teams passed on him including us!
But we're talking about a guy who was predicted to go in the top 5 in the NBA draft at one point. I think that's why some are asking why did we passed on him. Every pick is a crap shoot, so if you're going to take the risk on an underweight/undersized PF and a PF with mental health problems then why not take a risk on a guy who plays like a big 6' 9" player should play who may not get injured again. If you think about it every NBA player is prone to injuries each time they step on the court. Sometimes that expression is lame, because there are some really knowledgeable basketball posters on this board.
This is why: <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/hm1w6BLTl50?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
