The fact that the Boston Celtics are riding a three-game losing streak and that third-year big man Jared Sullinger is battling a three-game slump is not a coincidence. Sullinger, when playing to his standards, has helped Boston produce some of its best basketball this season, and this mini funk helps explains why the Celtics have endured a series of head-shaking losses in recent outings.

Since his arrival in the league, Sullinger's on/off court splits have been among the best on the team. He's a plus/minus darling and often emerges with numbers glossier than many of his teammates who play similar minutes.

Jared Sullinger didn't score a single point against the Knicks on Friday. AP Photo/Winslow Townson

Sullinger is not without his warts, but his value to this team is undeniable. His ceiling is as intriguing as anyone's in Boston's young core. Maybe that's why this three-game slump has been so surprising, because Sullinger simply has been a model of consistency over his brief NBA career. He's battling maybe his worst stretch since arriving in Boston.

Sullinger missed all six shots he took Friday night against the Knicks, going scoreless for the first time since Jan. 30, 2013, the night his rookie season ended when he suffered a back injury only four minutes into a game.

Over the past three outings, Sullinger is averaging more fouls per game (3.7) than points (3.3). He's shooting only 19 percent from the field and he simply doesn't look himself at either end. All of this coming after a stretch in which he seemed to find consistency with his 3-point shot and was averaging a double-double over the first four games of December, helping Boston put together a season-best three-game winning streak in that span.

Even as the Celtics have endured a number of near misses this season, Sullinger has dutifully engaged in postgame media responsibilities, trying to provide answers to questions that the Celtics themselves haven't been able to solve. That's why Sullinger gets a pass for ducking out quickly after Friday's loss to the Knicks, because chances are his slump is eating him up inside.

Celtics coach Brad Stevens went to bat for Sullinger after Friday's game.

"Sully's a really good player who's had a couple tough games in a row," said Stevens. "I think the most important thing we can do is encourage him, but we certainly need him to be good. But there's a lot of things when you lose a game that factor into losing the game, and so I don't think it's any one person's play or any two people's play -- it's a collective effort, win or lose."

With that in mind, let's examine Sullinger's numbers through 20 games.

TEAM IMPACT

There is really no argument: When Sullinger plays to his standards, Boston is a better team. Consider this: Over the first 17 games of the season, the Celtics owned a net differential of plus-1.3 points per 100 possessions when Sullinger was on the floor. When he was off, that differential dived to minus-9.8 as Boston's offensive rating dipped by 7 points and its defensive rating climbed by 4½ points.

The numbers suggest the Celtics play better when Sullinger is on the court. AP Photo/Steven Senne

Sullinger's on/off splits were second best on the team among regulars during that stretch and essentially in lockstep with team-leading Avery Bradley (the two players owned a virtually identical amount of floor time as well).

For the season, Boston's offensive rating is 103.1 with Sullinger on the floor -- about a point higher than the season average. The defensive rating is 103.6, not a particularly great number, but still 1.1 points less than the team's season average. Sullinger's minus-0.4 differential overall is best on the team among regulars (only Marcus Smart and Gerald Wallace, who have played limited minutes, own positive marks for the team).

INDIVIDUAL OFFENSE

Sullinger's scoring is up a tiny bit from last season with a small uptick in playing time. He's been slightly more efficient with his scoring, especially as his 3-point shot starts to fall (essentially scoring a point more per game with only a half attempt more).

Sullinger's offensive rebound rate is down -- a pitfall of playing more on the perimeter -- but his defensive rebound rate is back near his career-best level. Sullinger has also driven his turnover ratio down, pairing with Tyler Zeller for one of the league's most sure-handed frontcourts. His assist numbers are also at career-best levels; he's averaging 2.5 helpers per game while doubling his assist percentage since his rookie season.

Maybe the most eye-catching number from Sullinger's advanced stat line is that the team's pace is up to 100.26 possessions per game when he's on the court. That's more than 8 possessions higher than his rookie season at the end of the Big Three era, and about 4½ possessions more than last season. That's put added emphasis on conditioning for Sullinger, who is up to 29 minutes per game. The Celtics would probably like to push that number into the 30s if Sullinger can sustain his production with an increased workload.

SHAPING SULLINGER'S ROLE

The Celtics started stretching Sullinger to the perimeter last season, integrating the 3-point shot into his offensive toolbox. This season, 27.2 percent of Sullinger's attempts are coming beyond the arc. That's only a 4 percent uptick from last season, but the downside is that it often pulls him away from potential offensive rebounding position. What's more, Sullinger is getting much less of his points at the foul line (just 10.4 percent of his total output there this season, down from 16.1 percent last season). That's been hurt in part by his own struggles at the charity stripe, but also reflects Sullinger's lessened presence in the paint. Back as a rookie, he scored 65.2 percent of his points in the paint, but that's down to 47.8 percent this season.