By Doug Lesmerises, The Plain Dealer
View full size Paul Battaglia / Associated Press Ohio State's Jared Sullinger would be a mildly undersized power forward in the NBA, but has talents that will assure him a spot in the lottery either this spring or in future seasons.
Editor's note: This is the first of a weekly series profiling top players who could be available to the Cavs in this year's NBA draft on June 23. The draft lottery to determine the exact order is May 17.
Scouting report: Sullinger's game starts in the low post, with an ability to go over either shoulder with either hand that makes him difficult to guard one-on-one and sends him to the foul line frequently. He leads the Big Ten averaging more than seven free throws per game. He does have a faceup game from 18 feet, but hasn't used it much. He has great balance, footwork and body control, with Michigan coach John Beilein saying after Sullinger twisted himself to grab a teammate's airball and lay it in that he hadn't seen body control like that since Blake Griffin.
He's also an instinctual and relentless rebounder who knows how to read angles and use his body to get to the ball. Some wonder about his overall athleticism, but there's a lot of untapped potential.
Sullinger dropped from 290 pounds to under 270 during summer conditioning and has added a few pounds during the season. His vertical jump is 32 inches from a standstill and 36 inches when taking a step, not bad for a guy his size. OSU conditioning coach Dave Richardson believes that whenever he reaches the NBA and plays power forward, not center, Sullinger will be best at between 260 to 265 pounds.
As the son of a coach with two older brothers who played the game, Sullinger's basketball IQ is very high, which reveals itself most often in his passing ability out of double teams, and before double teams can reach him.
Cleveland connection: A lifelong Ohioan, Sullinger doesn't have much of direct connection to Cleveland and isn't a Cavs fan. His only time watching them in person was their exhibition games against Milwaukee in Columbus this season.
"I'm not a team fan, I'm a player fan," Sullinger said, mentioning Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade among his favorites. "I don't focus on one team in the NBA. I just watch and try to get better."
Projection: Top 5, if he comes out, with real consideration for No. 1. There's certainly a feeling by some around Sullinger that coming back for his sophomore season is a possibility, especially with the NBA labor uncertainty.
Fast breaks: All-time favorite player is Michael Jordan, without a doubt. "He did everything," Sullinger said. ... He's gotten some positive feedback from fans around the country who appreciated his good humor in asking a Minnesota fan to give him the sign he'd made mocking Sullinger. "It's no hard feelings," Sullinger said. ... OSU coach Thad Matta has most often compared him to former All-American and NBA All-Star David West, whom Matta coached at Xavier.
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