Kelly Olynyk Poised For Improvement

http://espn.go.com/boston/nba/story/_/id/11625117/kelly-olynyk-poised-improve-strong-summer



Kelly Olynyk poised for improvement
Updated: October 1, 2014, 8:53 PM ET
By Chris Forsberg | ESPNBoston.com



WALTHAM, Mass. -- If the draft hopefuls loosening up on the sidelines were not nervous before, they probably were now. Boston Celtics forward Kelly Olynyk was finishing an offseason workout at the team's practice facility in June by putting on a show as he circled the arc, splashing 3-pointers from every stop.

The college players just shook their heads watching a player who had just wrapped his own rookie campaign, all while Celtics officials beamed as they watched from high above the floor.

"I watched our draft workouts, and the best workout I saw all summer was Kelly Olynyk putting on a shooting clinic hitting 3s," team president Rich Gotham said. "We bring in all these guys, but we've got great guys on our team. It's exciting to think about how these guys will develop over time."


Kelly Olynyk hopes to build on the success he had late last season and when paired in the frontcourt with Jared Sullinger.

While much of the Celtics' preseason buzz has focused on newcomer Marcus Smart -- understandably so given that Smart could be thrust into an elevated role with Rajon Rondo sidelined by a hand fracture -- team brass has been quick to point toward the potential for growth from the returning players in the team's young core, especially the 23-year-old Olynyk.

After all, the Celtics treaded cautiously with Olynyk last season. Even after moving up three spots to snag him with the 13th pick in the 2013 draft, Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge cautioned that Olynyk was a "complementary player" and not a star. As Olynyk battled the rookie learning curve and some lingering injuries, Boston limited his playing time while seemingly easing him along.

Olynyk showed some of his potential with an elevated role in the final games of the season, but his work this summer really has the Celtics encouraged.

"I think our best bet is to make him a big part of what we're doing," Celtics coach Brad Stevens said of Olynyk. "I think the reason for that is because he's a skilled, savvy basketball player that can play a number of positions and can stretch the floor for you.

"I thought he made great progress last year; I think he's made a lot this summer. I didn't think he played as well in the [Orlando] summer league as he's played in just his workouts, in his individual workouts and small groups. For whatever reason, I don't know why that is the case. But he's picked up well from Day 1 and 2 [of training camp]."

For the second straight season, the Celtics are logjammed at the power forward spot, and Olynyk's role is a bit murky. If the team elects to go with a more traditional center (perhaps newcomer Tyler Zeller), then third-year forward Jared Sullinger seems the favorite to start alongside, which could leave Olynyk in a reserve role.

But the Celtics had success last season with an Olynyk/Sullinger pairing, and it stands to reason they'll team up again in early sub lineups if nothing else. There's still plenty of time to determine all that, which is why Olynyk isn't worried about it at the moment.

"I'm trying to figure out the situation, just get through camp and really help this team in any way I can," Olynyk said. "Everyone in their mind wants to start, everyone wants to contribute as much as they can. I set the expectations high."

One way or another, Stevens is going to find a way to get Olynyk on the floor in hopes of allowing him to build off the end of last season. Over Boston's final three games of the 2013-14 campaign, Olynyk averaged 25.7 points on 53.4 percent shooting while adding 9.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists over 34.7 minutes per game. He landed on the NBA's All-Rookie second team, then dove into a basketball-heavy summer that included a stint with the Canadian national team during their overseas exhibition games.

Olynyk hopes to build off what we saw at the end of last season.

"First of all, I was feeling good," he said. "I had a bunch of nagging stuff during the middle of the season that kind of held me back a little bit. So when your body's feeling good, your confidence is high, and you're getting on the floor and you're getting that opportunity, you have the opportunity to do some stuff, and I just tried to capitalize.

"It's good when your progress trends upward and not downward. That was kind of my goal throughout [last] year: Just keep getting better every day. That's the goal for anybody: Better yourself today -- better than you were yesterday -- and keep going on an upward trend."

Olynyk is still nagged slightly by a right wrist injury sustained during international play and had it taped on Day 1 of camp, though he's downplayed any concerns about the ailment. He's more concerned about distinguishing himself among the Celtics' crowded frontcourt.

"There's lots of competition at every spot, which is a good thing on this team," Olynyk said. "I think we're pretty deep. Same as last year, we have a lot of guys at a couple different spots, but your opportunity is going to come at some point or another, and you just have to be ready for it."




bob
MY NOTE:  Our 3-headed monster (graphic from redsarmy.com)





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One of the best things that can happen on a developing team is for individual players to demonstrate personal development within the team frame of reference.

Guys like Zeller, Kelly, Smart, Young, Green, and Turner seem to be fitting quickly into the up-tempo model being established by Brad.  And, although it hasn't been emphasized in the media reports, I'm sure Pressey could be included in that group.

Sully and Bass aren't greyhounds, but they'll have roles that will support the up-tempo game: Sully with his defensive rebounding and Bass with some tough defense leading to opponents' turnovers and low percentage shots.

This camp is like other camps, in that everyone's looking for positives.  So it's important not to get carried away at this point.  But reading some of this stuff is like a tonic, providing a feeling of release after a summer all too preoccupied by naive, hackneyed media "reports" and repetition.

Sam