PORTLAND — Jared Sullinger got caught up in traffic heading north on I-95 en route to an appearance at Hadlock Field during Wednesday night’s Portland Sea Dogs game.

Fans waiting in a long line for the Boston Celtic’s autograph may have been disappointed by his late arrival. But they could console themselves with Sullinger’s proclamation that he is “100 percent” recovered from back surgery that sidelined him for part of last season and will be ready to take on the bumper-to-bumper traffic in the paint.

“I’m doing great,” Sullinger said shortly after he arrived at Hadlock Field.  “I’m working out and just trying to get back in shape.”

The 6-foot-9 forward’s rookie season was cut short when he underwent surgery Feb. 2 to repair a lumbar disk. He has been cleared to play recently and expects to be ready to go when the Celtics open training camp on Sept. 30.

When camp opens, Sullinger will be one of the longest-tenured Celtics. A slew of off-season changes highlighted by trades involving All-Stars Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett and coach Doc Rivers altered the face of the franchise that drafted him 21st overall out of Ohio State little more than one year ago.

“It’s going to be very different but at the same time… we’re going to be young. We’re going to be ready to play,” Sullinger said.

He hopes a solid rookie season in which he averaged 6 points and 5.9 rebounds and his status as one of the team’s rebuilding blocks will mean a more prominent role in the offense under new head coach Brad Stevens.

“It’s a great opportunity for me,” Sullinger said. “Last year, I was probably, like, the ninth option even though I was on the floor. Maybe I’ll get the ball a little bit more.”

Based on his early impressions of his new coach, Sullinger knows he might have to convince Stevens that letting him have the ball more will add up.

“He’s a great guy, all about numbers. He loves numbers,” he said.

Sullinger doesn’t love some of the numbers he’s hearing when NBA experts and fans forecast their win total for the upcoming season. He scoffs at the notion that the Celtics could be throwing in the towel.

“For sure we’re not tanking. I know that for a fact,” he said. “We don’t believe in that. Our whole squad is pretty upset about that. We’re just going to go out and play hard and we’re going to try to make the playoffs.”

“People talk about this team is not going to be very good, Jeff Green is your All-Star or your best player, it’s a sign of 0-and-82. We’ve heard it all,” he said. “We’re just going to take it personal.”

Sullinger missed out on throwing out the first pitch before the game due to his late arrival in Portland. He did take part in a between-innings promotion on the field and posed for pictures with some of the young participants before taking a seat in the concourse on the third-base side to meet the patient autograph seekers.

His first trip to Maine was a brief one, but he planned to take in as much as he could.

“I’m having a lot of fun being in Portland, Maine,” he said. “I never thought I’d be in Portland, Maine. Maybe I thought I was going to be in Portland, Oregon. It’s totally different but it’s a lot of fun. You get to see different people, taste different food, different atmosphere, different attitude.”

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