Boston Celtics: Takeaways from Victory over Wizards
By Andrew Fine
Sullinger was Boston’s best big man
Nov 1, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan (21) and Boston Celtics forward Jared Sullinger (7) speak during the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports
Jared Sullinger’s contribution to the team was outstanding and he’s solidifying himself as Boston best big, despite all preseason talk of how the team should trade him (I admit that I am guilty of this).
Sullinger’s shooting was nearly flawless. He shot 9/13 from the field and was punishing the Wizards both on the perimeter and in the paint. The Wizards challenged him to take outside shots and Sullinger made them pay by nearly hitting all of them.
Sully’s amazing 80.8 effective field goal percentage, which takes into account 3-point shooting, led the Celtics. In addition, his three 3-pointers improved his percentage from behind the arc to 46.2, which leads the team.
With regard to rebounding, Sullinger kept plays alive and contributed three offensive rebounds, which led to six points. His rebounding percentage was a game-high 19.5%. He was able to beat Washington’s big men to spots in the paint and got in the right position to grab rebounds.
Sullinger was literally everywhere last night. According to NBA.com’s player tracking, he ran a team-high 2.05 miles. He was diving for balls, fighting for interior positioning, and scoring from everywhere.
Here is a clip of Sullinger coming away with a loose ball and making an outlet pass from the ground to a running Isaiah Thomas:
I cannot praise Sullinger enough for the contribution he made to the team against Washington.
Next: Takeaway #2