Jared Sullinger wishes you would believe in him

[begin sarcasm]

No matter how many years Jared Sullinger remains at an inflated playing weight, people keep thinking he will continue weighing in heavy.

No matter how many conditioning-related injuries he suffers, people keep assuming he will deal with more conditioning-related injuries.

People can be so ridiculous to assume that the past is a reasonable predictor of the present.

[end sarcasm]

And Jared seems tired of it.

In a piece by Chris Forsberg of ESPN, Sullinger reports that "everyone is doubting (him)".

Everyone has questioned me before -- said I'm not the most athletic, not this guy, not that guy -- and every level I’ve proved them wrong. It's another chance for me to show my work.

Of course, the Celtic big man might be forgiven for abandoning any objectivity in his assessment of the general public. I'm sure not everyone is doubting him. But the great percentage of onlookers would be wise to remain at least cautiously optimistic if not slightly critical regarding suggestions that the 23-year-old will make significant changes that he has yet to make in his career.

Perhaps casting himself as a victim beyond reproach can be the intrinsic motivator Sullinger needs to summon the requisite focus and determination to pick up more basketballs than cheeseburgers.

I'll admit that I've fantasized of being chased by a rapid dog while trying to finish off the last portion of a distance run. In order to psych herself up to finish a workout my wife sometimes imagines faceless villains are trying to do harm to her children.

Maybe we are simply playing the part of the rabid dogs and faceless villains in what might end up being Jared's career-changing narrative.

If Sullinger is going to have any real chance of giving "everyone" a reason to believe things might change, he may have to believe himself that he can author a victory he has yet to in his brief career, one in which the report states has seen him miss "68 games, or 27.7 percent of his total possible regular-season floor time".

I get everything, 'He’s not this, he’s not that. He’s not the guy that we thought he was going to be, potentially.' I’ve heard it all. I use it as motivation. Nothing is going to change [with his approach], I’m going to keep working, working as hard as possible.

And for the fans of the team that Sullinger plays for next year, whether the Celtics or some other, the hope is that he becomes a much bigger force in the very near future.

Perhaps by becoming smaller.

Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images

Follow Chris
@Chris Quimby