The domino effect of Jared Sullinger on Raptors roster
By Brian Boake
Jared Sullinger has joined the Raptors, a positive move for the team, but a challenge for the coaches. Whose minutes will he take?
The Toronto Raptors off-season could be viewed by skeptics as a failure. The team tried to add at least one high-profile free-agent but were rebuffed by everyone. How seriously Pau Gasol and others actually considered the Raptors can’t be known, but the fact remains they signed elsewhere.
DeMar DeRozan decided to stay with the only team he’s ever played professionally for, but cost a bomb; some would say too much.
Surely the acquisition of Jared Sullinger can be viewed as a major win for the Raptors and their fans. But what effect does it have on the incumbent players?
The easy answer? The Raptors have unplugged Luis Scola and his 76(!) starts and 21.5 Minutes Per Game [PG], and plugged in Sullinger. The reality is more complex.
Interestingly, in the introductory press conference, Masai Ujiri made reference to Sullinger being able to play either the 4 or the 5 (i.e., power forward or centre). While I have no problem with using a smaller man at backup centre, Sullinger isn’t anyone’s idea of Draymond Green. If the Raptors are going to toy with a super-small lineup, here’s hoping Patrick Patterson is in the paint. He’s faster than Sullinger, and with a better vertical leap. Match him up with Terrence Ross, Cory Joseph, Norman Powell and Pascal Siakam, and you might have an interesting group of quality defenders who should also be able to score.
Sullinger is a versatile man, although fans who rave about his shooting range might want to dial it down a little. He’s yet to reach 29% from beyond the 3-point arc after 4 NBA seasons. In other words, to call him a “stretch-4” is a stretch.
The more prominent power forwards in the East include the Cavaliers’ Kevin Love and Atlanta’s Paul Millsap. Sullinger will have his hands full against these two, as he will against long and skilled Kristaps Porzingis of the Knicks and sweet-shooting Nikola Mirotic of the Bulls. I can see Jared getting his head handed to him in these matchups, meaning coach Dwane Casey will call on Patterson quickly. I hasten to point out that shutting down the top guys is hard, even for fleeter people than Jared.
Sullinger saw his minutes decrease significantly in Boston last season, yet maintained an excellent rebounding rate of 16.9 per 48 minutes. He also matched his assist average of 2.3 PG, an excellent number for a power forward. I suspect his highly respectable 2.4 offensive rebounds PG helps him with those assists. A scattered defense as a result of a missed shot is highly vulnerable to a quick pass and easy bucket.
And the Raptors could surely use more assists.
Sullinger, more than most players, is going to play or sit based on matchups. He’s a traditional power forward, a thick-bodied (often too thick) banger. I can see him playing big minutes against Memphis and their monster front court of Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph. The Denver Nuggets are building a quality front line, and Jared can slow those people down. I don’t know how he’ll make out against the Pacers’ Paul George, but I suspect he’ll get a chance.
Against guard-oriented offenses, like his former mates in Boston or the remade Atlanta Hawks, Jared may need to sit more than he’d like. Patterson is highly capable at rotating out past the arc to pressure the ball, then wheeling back to protect the rim.
This is hardly the last word on how Sullinger will earn his minutes. He’s a player of a type Dwane Casey wished he had over the last few seasons, and now he does. Watch for Jared in a variety of roles in pre-season and in the first ten games or so of the regular.