Jared Sullinger needs back surgery, out for the year
Could this week get any worse for Celtics fans?
Rajon Rondo tore his ACL one week ago today in a double overtime loss to the Hawks, in which the team blew a 27 point lead. He's out for the year.
Doc Rivers finally inserted rookie Jared Sullinger into the starting lineup the following Sunday against the Heat. It was a move many fans were clamoring for after the young power forward had continually shown he was worthy of the increased playing time. (See: The more Jared Sullinger plays, the more the Celtics win)
And now...
This injury happened very early in the Celtics last game against the Kings. It was called back spasms at the time and coach Doc Rivers really didn't seem too concerned about it. It was revealed that his back had been bothering him for weeks though.
Still, this news takes everyone by surprise. Kind of.
Sullinger was red flagged before the draft with back issues. Which is the reason that the player who at one point was seen as the number one overall pick in the draft, ended up falling to the Celtics at #21.
Boston does not exactly have a surplus of big men to fill in for Sully, but they did just call up fellow rookie Fab Melo. Melo had been lighting it up in the D-League - and while he and Celtics General Manager, Danny Ainge, agreed that he was better served to stay put there - he may be pressed into service now.
The bad news keeps coming. The Rondo injury probably already squashed any glimmer of hope Celtics fans had of raising Banner 18 this season, but the Sullinger injury will make it so the rest of the ride will be even less enjoyable now.
It also raises the question of Sullinger's future. He avoided any back issues the entire year, until now. Can the Celtics afford to rely on Sully in the future? It's something I don't really want to think about right now.
Rajon Rondo. Jared Sullinger. Who's next?
Related:
Jared Sullinger day to day, 50/50 to play Friday
Bad news on Jared Sullinger
Boston 99, Sacramento 81 - All-Around Effort Pushes Celtics Past Kings
Rajon Rondo tore his ACL one week ago today in a double overtime loss to the Hawks, in which the team blew a 27 point lead. He's out for the year.
Doc Rivers finally inserted rookie Jared Sullinger into the starting lineup the following Sunday against the Heat. It was a move many fans were clamoring for after the young power forward had continually shown he was worthy of the increased playing time. (See: The more Jared Sullinger plays, the more the Celtics win)
And now...
Celtics rookie Jared Sullinger will miss the rest of the season with a back injury, league sources tell Y! Sports. He will need surgery.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) February 1, 2013
This injury happened very early in the Celtics last game against the Kings. It was called back spasms at the time and coach Doc Rivers really didn't seem too concerned about it. It was revealed that his back had been bothering him for weeks though.
Still, this news takes everyone by surprise. Kind of.
Sullinger was red flagged before the draft with back issues. Which is the reason that the player who at one point was seen as the number one overall pick in the draft, ended up falling to the Celtics at #21.
Boston does not exactly have a surplus of big men to fill in for Sully, but they did just call up fellow rookie Fab Melo. Melo had been lighting it up in the D-League - and while he and Celtics General Manager, Danny Ainge, agreed that he was better served to stay put there - he may be pressed into service now.
The bad news keeps coming. The Rondo injury probably already squashed any glimmer of hope Celtics fans had of raising Banner 18 this season, but the Sullinger injury will make it so the rest of the ride will be even less enjoyable now.
It also raises the question of Sullinger's future. He avoided any back issues the entire year, until now. Can the Celtics afford to rely on Sully in the future? It's something I don't really want to think about right now.
Rajon Rondo. Jared Sullinger. Who's next?
Related:
Jared Sullinger day to day, 50/50 to play Friday
Bad news on Jared Sullinger
Boston 99, Sacramento 81 - All-Around Effort Pushes Celtics Past Kings
