An In-Depth Scouting Report of Boston Celtics Draft Pick, Kelly Olynyk

SB NATION

By Kevin O'Connor on Jun 28 2013, 4:55p @Kevin__OConnor 94

Kelly Olynyk is happy to be drafted by the Boston Celtics. - Harry How

Kevin O'Connor takes an in-depth look at the newest Boston Celtics first round draft pick, Kelly Olynyk.

The Boston Celtics traded up in the 2013 NBA Draft to select Kelly Olynyk, a 7-footer out of Gonzaga. They sent the number 16 pick in the draft and two future second-round picks to the Dallas Mavericks in order to pick Olynyk at number 13. When asked why the Celtics made the move, Danny Ainge said, "you can never be sure about what will happen ahead of you." Considering that statement, it sure seems like the Celtics landed their target in the draft.



Kelly Olynyk

Position: Power Forward

College: Gonzaga
Height: 7'0"
Weight: 234
Age: 22

Olynyk played center in college but Danny Ainge says that he will play power forward in the NBA. That is a great thing for Kelly since most of the positive attributes of his game fit much better at that position. With the Celtics entering a transition phase, the native of Canada will look to immediately put himself in the team's rotation this season.


Offense Overview

Kelly Olynyk is one of the most NBA-ready big men in the 2013 NBA Draft class. He has a very good repertoire of post moves and is exceptional finishing at the rim. His soft hands and decisive movements after receiving a pass contribute to his high success rate. Olynyk is quite a unique player considering his upbringing as a point guard. His guard skills mean he has very good ball handling ability (with both hands), so he is very good getting to the basket from the perimeter. From outside he shows beautiful touch on his jumper and has the potential to extend his range to three-point land.

Defense Overview

Olynyk's lack of athleticism really hurts him on defense. He doesn't have the muscle or length to defend the post at a high level and his slow side-to-side speed limits him drastically in the pick-and-roll or any other time he is out on the perimeter. Olynyk's lack of strength also hurts him when rebounding, since he is bound to get pushed around for better positioning. Olynyk is not a shot blocker but has very good basket awareness and does an adequate job at protecting the rim.



Full Analysis

Athleticism/Intangibles

Kelly Olynyk has very good straight-line speed, making him a threat in transition offense. Olynyk grew up playing point guard until his junior year of high school, so he possesses elite instincts for a big man. He has a lot of the intangibles that a point guard has when running the floor. He knows where to be and what the best passing lane is for the ball handler, putting himself in a perfect position for a pass.

Other than his speed, Olynyk is not a very athletic player. Even when moving side to side, Olynyk loses a lot of the agility that makes him special on the offensive end. He gets beat in the pick-and-roll and lacks the length to make up for it. With only a 6'10" wingspan, Olynyk is one of the few players in this draft that have a smaller wingspan than height.

Kelly doesn't have the greatest strength, making him vulnerable to getting outrebounded or bodied on the post, but he does bring a very high motor to both ends of the floor. Olynyk himself admits that he is not an athletic guy, so he has to play 150 percent in order to stay with some of the great athletic talents playing basketball.

Post/Inside Offense


Olynyk has some of the softest hands out of any of the bigs in the draft. When he receives a pass near the rim he knows how to finish the play or draw a foul. He is very decisive in all of his movements and goes up strong with the ball. According to Sports Synergy, Olynyk finished a staggering 75.3 percent of his shots at the rim. Olynyk's soft hands contribute to the fact he has very nice touch. You very rarely will see Olynyk "brick" a shot off the back of the rim; if he misses, it usually softly rims out or his lack of athleticism prevented him from getting off a quality shot.

Speaking of Olynyk's athleticism, you might think that this would deter his effectiveness on the post, but I don't find that to be the case. Kelly shows the savvy of an NBA veteran when it comes to his post moves. No, Olynyk doesn't have an amazing go-to move like Dirk Nowitzki's one-foot fadeaway or Kevin Garnett's side-to-side shimmy, but Olynyk does have a nice, solid arsenal of moves that he puts to good use.

To start, Olynyk is very good at fighting hard for deep post positioning. Even though he might lack the strength to battle against centers like the Roy Hibbert's or Marc Gasol's of the world, he should be able to compete with most NBA power forwards. Look at this clip of Olynyk battling hard in the lane and eventually slipping in deep for amazing positioning on the post. Kelly is seems most comfortable operating from the low right block and does an especially good job finishing with his right hand. These couple of clips are good examples of what he can do there. My favorite is the one at the 5:54 mark, Olynyk jabs his right foot in between the defender, giving himself leverage on the play. After one quick dribble he goes back to his right hand and finishes the play.

More often than not Kelly likes to finish with his right hand but he does have the ability to put the ball on the floor with his left hand, giving him much added flexibility on the post and from the perimeter.

Perimeter Offense/Ball Handling

Since Kelly Olynyk didn't grow to be a 7-footer until his junior year of high school, he spent almost all of his youth playing the point guard position. Olynyk grew up with the ball in his hands, so that has left an imprint on his game as a big man. He has great dribbling ability and is able to get where he wants with the ball. When Olynyk receives the ball on the wing, elbow, point, or top of the key, he is a major threat to put the ball on the floor and drive to the hole. Once he gets in the lane he is very quick to recognize what he should do with the ball, whether it's establish post positioning, pull up with a shot, or go all the way to the rim for a layup.


One of the most intriguing parts of Kelly's offensive skillset is his jump shot. Olynyk has some of the best fundamentals out of any big men in this draft, which again comes from his upbringing playing point guard. Olynyk has an absolutely flawless jump shot, with perfect mechanics from start to finish. He shows nice touch from the high post and elbows; he even has nice little floater in the paint from 8-feet. Olynyk shot 77.6 percent from the free throw line as a junior and 33.3 percent (on 75 attempts) from three-point range in his three seasons with the Bulldogs.

Despite Kelly's success with his jump shot, he was not utilized much in any pick-and-pop action, though he did show that he is very good at setting screens in the pick-and-roll. If he is able to have the same amount of success in the pick-and-pop, he'll be a serious threat from mid-range.

Olynyk has been trying to extend his range to beyond the arc, which would make him even more of a threat in the NBA. Since he'll be playing the power forward position with the Boston Celtics, he might be used more to spread the floor, which seems to be the direction the NBA is headed with the incoming bigs anyway. It remains to be seen if Olynyk will be able to consistently hit an NBA-range three-ball, but the skills, mechanics, and consistency are all there supporting the fact he can and will.

Rebounding

Even though Olynyk stands at 7-feet tall, he is not a very good rebounder. Olynyk does a solid job of boxing out but doesn't have the length to grab the ball at its apex. He gets outleaped by more athletic players and outmuscled by stronger ones. It's hard to imagine Olynyk ever improves drastically, but he still has the size had the ability to average 5-to-7 rebounds per game from the power forward position. While those numbers aren't ideal, they are forgivable he if he is on a team next to a true center that would swallow up most rebounds anyway.

Post/Inside Defense

Kelly Olynyk plays with a lot of energy on the post and does a good job of denying his man deep post-positioning, but if the ball manages to get in deep he's in trouble. Olynyk lacks the strength to deal with stronger players and the length to defend longer, more athletic big men. With only a 6'10" wingspan, Olynyk will be facing off against many players 4-to-5 inches longer than him. Kelly will battle until the position changes or the play is blown dead, but he simply doesn't have the ability to compete at a high level on the post.


Olynyk is a very smart defender on the post; he rarely bites on pump fakes and he does a relatively solid job staying with his assignment. Sometimes he gets caught in "no man's land" but I am relatively impressed with his ability to keep himself between his man and the rim. Of course, he won't be a threat to block shots, but he's good enough to make things a little bit difficult for opponents that are penetrating the paint.

Perimeter/Pick and Roll Defense

Even though Kelly has amazing straight-line speed for a man his size, he struggles very much when moving laterally. As a result, Olynyk struggles very much on the perimeter. Even when Kelly Olynyk has good footwork on the perimeter, he still gets burnt. Check out this clip to see Olynyk with pretty solid technique (good base and slides feet) but still get blown by. It's not defense by any means but this is a good example to show that even when he does something right, he still might not be athletic enough to make the play. My concern is when he has bad footwork on the perimeter. On the next few clips from that last link, Olynyk has very bad technique when matched up against his assignment. From the start, he doesn't get set with a wide base, leaving himself vulnerable to dribble penetration. Once the drive begins, he "crosses his feet" and doesn't slide with his opponent. Olynyk must learn to stay more balanced, keep his man in front of him, and always establish a wide base, which would allow him to slide more quickly.

When playing in the pick-and-roll, Kelly Olynyk hedges far too hard and lacks the foot speed to get back to his man. This is a place where Olynyk could get completely exposed at the beginning of his NBA career. If Olynyk is on the floor an NBA team can put him in the pick-and-roll, forcing a switch with a guard. When you bring Olynyk out on the perimeter he is at his most vulnerable since he currently lacks the athleticism and basketball awareness to play effectively in this type of situation.

Potential


When I first watched Kelly Olynyk play I was unimpressed with his game. I saw a guy that was far too athletic to play in the NBA. However, over time I proved my initial feelings to be false. Olynyk might not be a great athlete -- or even a good one -- but his high motor and intensity make up for his absence of any physical tools. Olynyk sees like a very hard working, coachable player. He was a redshirt during his junior season and it's obvious he spent loads of time improving his game, since he came back during his redshirt-junior season and played on another level.

With that, I do think he will continue to improve. He says he wants to extend his range and I think he will. He'll also continue to improve on the post, where he is already very effective. Since he'll play power forward with the Boston Celtics, I don't think he really needs to put on any more muscle, like he would've had to at center. Olynyk could easily become a player that scores a respectable 12-to-14 points per game as a sixth man but I wouldn't put him past him to be a guy that an average 17-to-19 points per game as a starter. Olynyk is an extremely versatile player on the offensive end and still has room to develop.

Olynyk will probably never be a good defense player but he if continues to work hard he has the tools to become an average one. He plays hard on the post and has a high basketball I.Q., so he if he can make strides playing pick-and-roll defense he will never be a liability out there on the floor. I have my concerns about him playing on the perimeter against a stretch-forward, but think he is already good enough to defend most forwards that primarily operate on the post.

Overall, I am extremely happy with the selection. I think the Boston Celtics acquire a guy that can play right away and be a spark off the bench. Looking ahead, he has the upside to be a starting power forward. He can stretch the floor but play down on the post as well. I think he's best suited for a sixth man type of role since that would lessen any of his weaknesses on the defensive end, but the future is bright for Kelly Olynyk and the Boston Celtics.

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It's hard for me to believe that Danny moved up to draft a guy who would be a power forward with the Celtics. Power forward is arguably the position with greatest depth on the team, although perhaps his length, combined with lack of strength, would be better suited to the PF position. This is just one more reason to believe that Danny will be acquiring a more seasoned, legitimate center before next season begins.

Sam

http://nesn.com/2013/06/kelly-olynyk-has-basketball-iq-like-a-point-guard-says-gonzaga-coach-mark-few/


The Celtics didn’t have to give up much to move from No. 16 in the first round to No. 12 to pick up Kelly Olynyk. It took just two second-round picks for Boston to move up and grab the 7-footer. In doing so, Boston might have picked up the smartest big man in the draft, at least, according to Olynyk’s former coach. “He’s got an IQ like a point guard. It’s that high,” Gonzaga head coach Mark Few told the Boston Herald. “He knows what we are supposed to be doing. He knows what the opponent is doing, so he really has a great feel for the game.” Olynyk may have to use those smarts to pick up the NBA game and play early in Boston. With Kevin Garnett gone, the Celtics will need some big men out on the court. Olynyk averaged 17.8 points and 7.3 rebounds in 2012-13 while picking up West Coast Conference Player of the Year honors.


bob


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Just posting what I see.  As dboss pointed out, we already drafted him, but he's still a relative unknown.  How many of us actually saw him play at Gonzaga?  Not me and Gonzaga's a west coast school. At least check out the part below that I bolded.

http://celticshub.com/2013/06/30/weekend-notebook-what-about-kelly-olynyk-gigi-datome-could-sign-with-celtics/


KELLY OLYNYK: SHOOTING SUPERSTAR
On Thursday, June 27, the Celtics entered the 2013 NBA draft with the No. 16 pick. Not too many people were sure what player Boston would select, but most knew that the Dallas Mavericks were hoping to get out of the first round. The Celtics then sent their No. 16 pick and two second-rounders in 2014 to the Mavericks for the No. 13 overall selection. Therefore, Dallas originally drafted Kelly Olynyk, but he ultimately wore green at the end of the night.

Then the next day, I was listening to a podcast hosted by David Locke, the Utah Jazz radio play-by-play announcer. He said that the Jazz had Olynyk participate in their usual ‘Jazz 100’ shooting drill and the Canadian performed spectacularly:


Locke explains,
“The Jazz really wanted, and I think expected, to get Kelly Olynyk at the 14th pick…The Jazz put Kelly Olynyk through a workout. They put all the guys that come in for workouts – the guards do something called the ‘Jazz 100.’ It is 100 3-point shots in a short period of time, taking 10 [shots] from 10 different spots in 10 different manners on the floor, so some can be coming off a pick-and-roll; some can be spot-ups where it is kicked out to you; some can be fading into the corner; [and] some are trailing in transition.”

For guards, they attempt all 3-pointers while the big men usually shoot long two-point field goals. However, the Jazz decided that the seven-footer from British Columbia would shoot 3-pointers.
Locke continues,

“Talking to Olynyk after the draft, no other team had him take more than five three’s by the time he had come to Salt Lake City. His next spot, by the way, leaving Salt Lake was to go to Boston. This is important. In the workout with the Jazz, Olynyk hits, I think it was, 63 of 100 three’s, which was like the second-most amount of three’s that anyone hit.”

Olynyk’s performance in this shooting drill must make Celtics fans smile, especially after he attempted only 30 shots from 3-point distance in 845 minutes on the court as a junior at Gonzaga. In addition, Olynyk’s scoring prowess at the hoop is another important part of his package as an offensive player. The 2012-13 Celtics were a great midrange shooting team, but Olynyk will help usher in the new era with strong scoring in the paint and from beyond the arc.

OLYNYK REDSHIRTED IN 2011-12 FOR A REASON
Not only is Olynyk physically able to contribute to the Celtics, but he is also mentally strong. Olynyk’s redshirt season showed Gonzaga head coach Mark Few that he is a special player, courtesy of the Boston Herald’s Tom Layman:
“Olynyk decided to redshirt his junior season to develop his game and take advantage when some of the Gonzaga big men in front of him moved on to future endeavors.
“Few set up Olynyk with the scout team and walk-ons to prepare his starters for upcoming games. Normally those would be one-sided affairs. As Few tells it, that wasn’t the case with Olynyk on the other side.

““He would take a group of walk-ons and get them organized and get them in the right spot and they would give our starting five fits sometimes,” Few told the Herald yesterday. “It was to the point where I’d have to tell Kelly to back off a little bit so it wouldn’t mess with our confidence.””

Not typically does a player redshirt that far into his collegiate career when he has this type of talent. However, in this case, it was vital for Olynyk, who averaged 18 points and more than seven rebounds per game the following season.

““He’s got an IQ like a point guard. It’s that high,” Few said. “He knows what we are supposed to be doing. He knows what the opponent is doing, so he really has a great feel for the game.””

The 2013 draft might not have been the deepest one, but the Celtics sacrificed very little to select a player who could be an important part of the team in the near future.






bob


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