Jared Sullinger: Why Back Issues Are No Reason to Pass on Huge Upside

Jared Sullinger had it all coming out of high school: size, quickness, touch, IQ and tremendous potential. After playing two years at Ohio State, Sullinger's draft status has dropped from a surefire top-five pick all the way to a low lottery pick, and possibly down to the early 20s.

In his most recent mock draft, Chad Ford placed Sullinger No. 18 overall to the Orlando Magic. Not only has Sullinger's draft status plummeted, but he was not even one of the 14 prospects invited to Newark, N.J., for the draft.  

What happened to Sullinger? Well, concerns about the his lack of athleticism, suspect conditioning and ailing back have scared away draft experts from taking Sullinger in the lottery. The red flags about his health are a reason for concern and should be taken seriously, but the value that Sullinger presents for an NBA team should not be passed up.  

In two years at Ohio State, Sullinger averaged at least 17 points per game and at least nine rebounds, while shooting over 50 percent from the field in both seasons. In his sophomore and final season, Sullinger shot 40 percent from behind the arc in 40 attempts.

Sullinger did not dominate the game above the rim and had trouble against bigger, more athletic defenders but showed that he can bang with anyone in college basketball. What makes Sullinger special is his polished post-game. He is a superb talent with NBA post ability, he is a surreal passer who plays great without the basketball. The 6'9", 265-pound prospect may be small for NBA forward standards but can surely use his size and touch to create scoring opportunities at the next level. 

The greatest criticism that NBA scouts have about players like Andre Drummond and Perry Jones III is their lack of post game. Sullinger is not a player you build your franchise around due to his lack of size and athleticism, but scouts have little doubt about his ability to score and will make immediate contributions as a starter on a lottery team, immediately.  

Every NBA team should take note of the skills that Sullinger possesses because no post player is as polished in this draft as Sullinger. If you go down the list, every lottery pick big man, outside of Anthony Davis, has considerable issues with their offensive game or lack of consistent rebounding. 

Another question that has surfaced during pre-draft analysis is his lack of height and size, well let's take a closer look at the size of Sullinger. Sullinger is listed at 6'9", although that is tough to believe. He possess a 7'1" wingspan, something that can help him a the next level. Sullinger also does a tremendous job of using his 268-pound frame to block out defenders creating separation between defenders and the basket, giving him more room to operate with his tremendous post game. 

Sure the Blake Griffin-esque show that many other prospects depend on is great once in a while, but those highlight-type athletes struggle to score in the half court and end up becoming players who can not be relied on in crunch time. Sullinger provides the basketball savvy and post play that is vital to success at the next level, especially in crunch time. Sullinger has proven that you don't need to be the best athlete to score, something that is under appreciated presently in the league.   

Let's go back to another main issue that hurts Jared Sullinger's draft status: his health. The back issues of Jared Sullinger have made doctors concerned about his long term future in the league. No where does it say that Sullinger will unable to rebound, defend, bang in the post or even show off his polished offensive game.

Even if you only get Sullinger for seven or eight seasons due to his health issues, the man is 20 years old and can be a very serviceable player for however long he plays. NBA GMs who pass up on Sullinger for more promising prospects, who have years of development necessary, will lose out in the long run to the more polished, NBA-ready player who can make an impact day one in the league. 

The team that selects Jared Sullinger in this year's NBA Draft will be jumping for joy with the upside he has to offer, regardless of the red flags that plagued his draft status.