Kelly Olynyk is no Dirk Nowitzki, but he’s starting to shoot like him

http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/2016/01/19/kelly-olynyk-dirk-nowitzki-but-starting-shoot-like-him/Wp3dHoU78lYPkA067A5bvM/story.html?p1=well__main



Kelly Olynyk is no Dirk Nowitzki, but he’s starting to shoot like him






Kelly Olynyk goes to the basket past Dallas’ Devin Harris
EPA/LARRY W. SMITH CORBIS OUT


By Brian Robb @CelticsHub
Boston.com Correspondent | 01.19.16 | 11:21 AM


Kelly Olynyk’s development in a Celtics uniform has been a roller coaster ride, but signs of progress are popping up much more regularly in year three for the seven-footer.

Monday’s game against the Mavericks was the latest example of that development. The 24-year-old hit a career-high five 3-point shots off the bench, finishing with 17 points in Boston’s 118-113 overtime loss in Dallas.

Overall, Olynyk hit 5 of 6 attempts from beyond the arc, pushing his 3-point shooting accuracy for the season up to 42.1 percent. That’s far and away the best mark on the Celtics roster and is also good for 13th overall in the NBA, ahead of fellow sharpshooting big men like Dirk Nowitzki.

Olynyk’s hot shooting streak is even more impressive when you break down his numbers over the past six weeks:

.@NBA 3-POINT PCT (Since Nov. 28) 1. Redick, LAC 52.6 2. Leonard, SA 49.0 3. Rush, GSW 48.6 4. Casspi, Sac 48.5 5. OLYNYK, BOS 48.3
— Sean Grande (@SeanGrandePBP) January 19, 2016


Long-range accuracy like that from the young seven-footer may prompt more comparisons of Olynyk to Nowitzki from Tommy Heinsohn, but Dirk attempted to prematurely put an end to those after Monday’s game.

“Yeah, I mean, I like the kid. I’m just not sure about all that,” Nowitzki said when asked about the comparison to Olynyk, via ESPN. “But I really do like him. He’s a good shooter. He’s improved from year to year, so I do wish him the best. He can be a really good player, but I don’t know if his ceiling is all the way up there. He’s got a long way to go.”

Olynyk needs about 27,000 more points to match the career of the future Hall-of-Famer, but he’s definitely starting to show shades of his three-point range in the meantime. That’s a trend the Celtics would love for him to keep up.



bob
MY NOTE: Kelly is shooting 43% from 3 on the season and 62% from 3 over the last 5 games. That is NOT a typo, 61.9% to be precise. He is also taking more 3pt fgas this season over his previous 2 seasons and even more over the past 5 games than season-to-date, so the shooting % more reliable because it is based upon more fgas. No wonder the rumor is that he is one of the most tradeable assets Danny has. A 7'er shooting 43% from 3 halfway through the season? Lots of teams would like that.

As far as "shooting like Dirk" though, he'd have to take a ton more fgas and he'd have to have ice-water in his veins when he takes them. Kelly is a good catch-and-shooter, but he needs a killer signature move/shot or two.


.

Maybe in the future the NBA will copy Baseballs Designated Hitter position with its own designated shooter position. Just go in and shoot. No need to rebound or play defense. Catch the ball ,shoot and then head right back to the bench.

swish

swish wrote:Maybe in the future the NBA will copy Baseballs Designated Hitter position with its own designated shooter position. Just go in and shoot. No need to rebound or play defense. Catch the ball ,shoot and then head right back to the bench.

swish

swish,

You're describing Vinny "The Microwave" Johnson.


bob


.

bobheckler wrote:

swish wrote:Maybe in the future the NBA will copy Baseballs Designated Hitter position with its own designated shooter position. Just go in and shoot. No need to rebound or play defense. Catch the ball ,shoot and then head right back to the bench.

swish

swish,

You're describing Vinny "The Microwave" Johnson.


bob


.

  He sure was a colorful character and fit in very well with that group of Piston blue collar players. In the below link of guard players that he faced the most during his career, note that our Danny faired quite well. I'll bet that a lot of the younger generation are not aware of the considerable skills that Danny possessed.

  http://bkref.com/tiny/akEHs

 swish

My daughter is a lead fundraiser for the National Kidney Foundation of Michigan, one of the very best non-profits in the usa by the way, and she says Vinnie Johnson is a big and dependable supporter of her charity, a real mensch in every way.

swish wrote:

bobheckler wrote:

swish wrote:Maybe in the future the NBA will copy Baseballs Designated Hitter position with its own designated shooter position. Just go in and shoot. No need to rebound or play defense. Catch the ball ,shoot and then head right back to the bench.

swish

swish,

You're describing Vinny "The Microwave" Johnson.


bob


.

  He sure was a colorful character and fit in very well with that group of Piston blue collar players. In the below link of guard players that he faced the most during his career, note that our Danny faired quite well. I'll bet that a lot of the younger generation are not aware of the considerable skills that Danny possessed.

  http://bkref.com/tiny/akEHs

 swish

Swish

and if he could have hit a curveball he might have had a very nice major league baseball career.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/aingeda01.shtml

beat

beat wrote:

swish wrote:

bobheckler wrote:

swish wrote:Maybe in the future the NBA will copy Baseballs Designated Hitter position with its own designated shooter position. Just go in and shoot. No need to rebound or play defense. Catch the ball ,shoot and then head right back to the bench.

swish

swish,

You're describing Vinny "The Microwave" Johnson.


bob


.

  He sure was a colorful character and fit in very well with that group of Piston blue collar players. In the below link of guard players that he faced the most during his career, note that our Danny faired quite well. I'll bet that a lot of the younger generation are not aware of the considerable skills that Danny possessed.

  http://bkref.com/tiny/akEHs

 swish

Swish

and if he could have hit a curveball he might have had a very nice major league baseball career.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/aingeda01.shtml

beat

How true. Not too many athletes are able to compete professionally in 2 sports. Gene Conley and Dave DeBussschere are 2 that come to mind.

swish

Swish

Although he only played baseball, I believe Dave Winfield was drafted in basketball and football too. Also remember our very own John Havlicek was the last receiver cut by the Browns back in the day(thank goodness for us) Best 2 sport athlete in my day still has to be Bo Jackson, All star in both the NFL and MLB, the story was if he was coming up to bat and you had to go use the rest room, well you peed your pants if you had to cause you just did not want to miss it. If not for that bum hip who knows, and a honorable mention to Deion Sanders only player to play in both World Series and Super Bowl. And he won a ring with the 49'ers too.

beat

Swish
How could I miss Bo. I'll always remember the day, while standing at home plate, he grabbed his bat at both ends slammed it down over his thigh and broke it in half. Unreal!

swish

Swish

Bo with the throw...

http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/6479266/v33627735/kcsea-bo-jacksons-cannon-gets-reynolds-at-home

and breaking the bat(s).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_KBRRfmYzk

beat

Other than Neon Deion, I think Otto Graham and Gene Conley are the only two athletes to win championships in two separate major league sports.

George Halas and Jim Thorpe, of course were multi sport athletes of note, playing professionally in baseball and football.

Halas was the Yankees right fielder shortly before Babe Ruth.  There was another, short-term, outfielder between the two.  Papa Bear in pinstripes.

Then there was the commercial that had Bo in full Jockey attire siting on a horse heading out onto the race track with the announcer bewilderingly asking "what, Bo a jockey too"? One of my favorite clips.

swish

Watching Bo play outfield and throw runners out is one of my all time sports thrills!

NYCelt wrote:Other than Neon Deion, I think Otto Graham and Gene Conley are the only two athletes to win championships in two separate major league sports.

George Halas and Jim Thorpe, of course were multi sport athletes of note, playing professionally in baseball and football.

Halas was the Yankees right fielder shortly before Babe Ruth.  There was another, short-term, outfielder between the two.  Papa Bear in pinstripes.

NYCELT

Deion made it to the World Series but his team never won, he did win a couple Super Bowls one with the 49er's though.

beat

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/76583-the-10-greatest-multi-sport-athletes-of-all-time

beat wrote:

NYCelt wrote:Other than Neon Deion, I think Otto Graham and Gene Conley are the only two athletes to win championships in two separate major league sports.

George Halas and Jim Thorpe, of course were multi sport athletes of note, playing professionally in baseball and football.

Halas was the Yankees right fielder shortly before Babe Ruth.  There was another, short-term, outfielder between the two.  Papa Bear in pinstripes.

NYCELT

Deion made it to the World Series but his team never won, he did win a couple Super Bowls one with the 49er's though.  

beat

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/76583-the-10-greatest-multi-sport-athletes-of-all-time

Yeah, I mis-spoke (mis-typed?).  Halas and Graham were the two who actually won.