Wow Town: Sullinger's Surprising Suns Surge

22 Year Old Forward Quickly Becoming Front Office Favorite

Jared Sullinger has been leaving opponents in his wake as a starter

When the Phoenix Suns swung the trade that sent their first round pick and Colton Iverson to the Charlotte Hornets for Kendall Marshall, Jared Sullinger, Shelden Williams, and the Chicago Bulls' first round selection, the overall reaction league-wide was that the Suns netted the perfect floor general for their system, and indeed, Marshall has shown precisely that (though that's for another article). Opinions on Sullinger varied more widely, with some considering him nothing more than an average player, but sportswriters in Charlotte, New York, and Salt Lake City opined that both players were an exceptional fit for Jestorball.

3-21 at the time of the trade, the Suns are now 13-32, or 10-11 since that first swap on a day of numerous deals by Phoenix and other teams around the CSL. One of those trades was for Greg Oden, who broke his elbow not long after arriving in the desert, and as a result, Sullinger was inserted in the lineup for the two months that Oden's out.

In those first six starts, Sully's shot a swoon-worthy 58% for 15.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, a steal, and 1.8 turnovers per game, and that includes one contest where he had just 2 boards. More significantly, he has 3 doubles in those six contests, and the Suns have gone 3-3 in those games, with four of them on the road, and one of those losses not all that far away from being a Phoenix victory. And this doesn't even count the 34 point, 11 rebound December 23rd performance against the Thunder that was his first Phoenix start.

In fact, the Suns organization, from GM Jestor on down to the coaching staff, has fallen so in love with the 22 year old third year forward's scorching play in the lineup that they're seriously considering keeping the Sullinger/Mitch McGary starting frontcourt after Oden returns from injury, and instead having the oft-injured Oden rotate with starter-level minutes on the bench between the 4 and 5, or play exclusively at the 5 off the bench, with McGary flexing to the 4 when Sullinger needs a breather.

No matter which direction Nate McMillan and the staff go in, it's pretty clear they've found a real, unexpected gem that sources say the Suns are now seriously contemplating keeping around as a long-term fit for their squad, so much has the Ohio State alum flourished in their setup.

great addition to your lineup - looks like Sully is a keeper

He's definitely been great, especially on that efficiency. He will be in for a payday next year if he continues to produce like this though, so that could cut into your cap space you've been hoarding for so long.

You always find a way to get the most out of players. He is looking real good with a Suns jersey on. 58% from the floor is something to drool over man.

I got Sullinger offered a lot.. But couldnt imagine he could play the way he does for you guys.. Good job tim, like always.
With Jareds explosion the trade looks like it was a really good one for Phoenix.

He's a pretty underrated player in the league I think. Great role player to have.

McGary/Sullinger is so potent offensively and projects to be elite on the boards. Defensively it's not great but Porter can help mitigate some of that. Cool team with an interesting future.