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Celtics want more from Kelly Olynyk
by bobheckler Fri Oct 16, 2015 10:55 am
http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/celtics_nba/boston_celtics/2015/10/celtics_want_more_from_kelly_olynyk
Celtics want more from Kelly Olynyk
Photo by: Matt Stone
OLYNYK: Wants to be more aggressive.
Friday, October 16, 2015
By: Steve Bulpett
NEW YORK — Kelly Olynyk will never be a chest-pounding kind of guy, but he could use a little of the swagger embodied in renowned bat flipper Jose Bautista.
The Celtics 7-footer is following his original home-team Blue Jays very closely in the playoffs and loved hearing about Bautista’s big homer Wednesday night.
“I played baseball growing up. Obviously I love the Sox,” said Olynyk, who has Toronto and Red Sox caps in his regular rotation, “but the Jays have been the team I’ve followed since I was young. I followed guys like Carlos Delgado, Vernon Wells, Orlando Hudson . . .”
Not former Blue Jay 2B-3B-CF Danny Ainge?
“Yeah,” Olynyk said, flashing his province-wide smile, “that was a little bit before me.”
Olynyk wasn’t born until 10 years after Ainge, now the Celts’ president of basketball operations, last stepped into the batter’s box for Toronto.
Now Ainge and coach Brad Stevens are trying to get the 24-year-old to go deep — aka launch more 3-pointers — with a more assertive swing as he enters his third NBA season. It’s rare that a coach has to get on a player to shoot more often, but such is the case here.
Wednesday night in Brooklyn, Olynyk started slowly with an 0-for-2 first half. He then took and hit all four of his shots (two of them treys) after the break in the Celts’ 109-105 preseason win.
Stevens, whose club stayed in town to play the Knicks tonight, said later he thinks Olynyk is coming around toward the way he needs to play, crediting his prominent role on the Canadian national team this past summer with getting him more into the proper frame of mind.
“I’m definitely trying to stay aggressive,” said Olynyk, who had 11 points in 11 second-half minutes against the Nets. “Playing with the Canada team definitely helps. I went in there and played well, and I’m just trying to carry that over. But, you know, our team here needs everybody to be at their best, and I’m at my best when I’m aggressive, so that’s what has to happen.
“It’s all about getting into the flow with the team and getting settled in the league, you know, realizing your strengths and weaknesses at this level and capitalizing on them. And this summer helped me, playing against high-level competition and being a key focal point in that offense,” added the Gonzaga product, who had 34 points for Canada against Venezuela in the FIBA Americas Championship. “It was huge. I got to make plays, and that builds confidence and kind of reiterates your skills.”
His C’s coaches and teammates have been doing more than a little reiterating, too. But pushing for his offense is not in Olynyk’s hoop nature.
“I’ve been taught to play basketball the right way, so if stuff comes, I take it. If it doesn’t, you just keep the ball moving,” he said. “But sometimes you’ve got to try to force it a little bit, I guess, and that’s a little bit of a tough line, especially being a point guard growing up and seeing the game like that. But it’s definitely something I’ve got to work on.
“I think it’s more just letting the game come to you and playing basketball the right way. I mean, if the extra pass is there, I want to make it. I would definitely consider myself an unselfish player, but I guess sometimes you’ve got to be a little more selfish. Like I said, that’s tough. But then I have to realize that that’s what’s going to help the team — help the team be successful.”
As a young guard, well before his growth spurt, Olynyk was more of an on-court director than star soloist.
“For me, it’s always about the team, just trying to make sure the team’s playing at as high a level as it can,” he said. “The goal for me is, you know, growing up I was always told the best players make their teammates better. And if tour team’s better when you’re on the floor, then you’re doing your job — whether you’re scoring, rebounding, passing, playing defense or just being a glue guy. If your team’s better when you’re on the floor, you’re doing your job.”
Now Olynyk is learning that, based on Celtics’ needs, the job can change — and he has to change. With more NBA seasoning under his belt, he believes he is better equipped to make the needed alterations in his game.
“When you’re young, it’s a little bit different,” Olynyk said. “You’re almost playing not to make mistakes rather than playing to make plays. I think once you get over that hump, then you’re fine.”
Stevens would love it if Wednesday’s second half was Olynyk’s hump day.
bob
MY NOTE: Kelly has looked more aggressive this pre-season, and that's good. He needs to shoot. Period. If he is open he needs to take the shot. I don't think coaches should pull players out of a game if they make a mistake, because that has the effect of making them afraid of making mistakes and that makes them play less aggressively, but Brad should pull Kelly out of a game if Kelly has open shots and doesn't take them, settling for the safe "round the horn" pass" instead.
Year 3 for Kelly. It would not be unreasonable to expect to see an uptick in his production. Bigs usually need a few years. He has now 2 under his belt. That's why the heat is really on Sully, he should be a year ahead of Kelly in his development. That doesn't mean he should be better than Kelly but that he should be a more fully formed product at this point in his development.
Game time today is 4:30 EDT vs NY Knicks.
.
Celtics want more from Kelly Olynyk
Photo by: Matt Stone
OLYNYK: Wants to be more aggressive.
Friday, October 16, 2015
By: Steve Bulpett
NEW YORK — Kelly Olynyk will never be a chest-pounding kind of guy, but he could use a little of the swagger embodied in renowned bat flipper Jose Bautista.
The Celtics 7-footer is following his original home-team Blue Jays very closely in the playoffs and loved hearing about Bautista’s big homer Wednesday night.
“I played baseball growing up. Obviously I love the Sox,” said Olynyk, who has Toronto and Red Sox caps in his regular rotation, “but the Jays have been the team I’ve followed since I was young. I followed guys like Carlos Delgado, Vernon Wells, Orlando Hudson . . .”
Not former Blue Jay 2B-3B-CF Danny Ainge?
“Yeah,” Olynyk said, flashing his province-wide smile, “that was a little bit before me.”
Olynyk wasn’t born until 10 years after Ainge, now the Celts’ president of basketball operations, last stepped into the batter’s box for Toronto.
Now Ainge and coach Brad Stevens are trying to get the 24-year-old to go deep — aka launch more 3-pointers — with a more assertive swing as he enters his third NBA season. It’s rare that a coach has to get on a player to shoot more often, but such is the case here.
Wednesday night in Brooklyn, Olynyk started slowly with an 0-for-2 first half. He then took and hit all four of his shots (two of them treys) after the break in the Celts’ 109-105 preseason win.
Stevens, whose club stayed in town to play the Knicks tonight, said later he thinks Olynyk is coming around toward the way he needs to play, crediting his prominent role on the Canadian national team this past summer with getting him more into the proper frame of mind.
“I’m definitely trying to stay aggressive,” said Olynyk, who had 11 points in 11 second-half minutes against the Nets. “Playing with the Canada team definitely helps. I went in there and played well, and I’m just trying to carry that over. But, you know, our team here needs everybody to be at their best, and I’m at my best when I’m aggressive, so that’s what has to happen.
“It’s all about getting into the flow with the team and getting settled in the league, you know, realizing your strengths and weaknesses at this level and capitalizing on them. And this summer helped me, playing against high-level competition and being a key focal point in that offense,” added the Gonzaga product, who had 34 points for Canada against Venezuela in the FIBA Americas Championship. “It was huge. I got to make plays, and that builds confidence and kind of reiterates your skills.”
His C’s coaches and teammates have been doing more than a little reiterating, too. But pushing for his offense is not in Olynyk’s hoop nature.
“I’ve been taught to play basketball the right way, so if stuff comes, I take it. If it doesn’t, you just keep the ball moving,” he said. “But sometimes you’ve got to try to force it a little bit, I guess, and that’s a little bit of a tough line, especially being a point guard growing up and seeing the game like that. But it’s definitely something I’ve got to work on.
“I think it’s more just letting the game come to you and playing basketball the right way. I mean, if the extra pass is there, I want to make it. I would definitely consider myself an unselfish player, but I guess sometimes you’ve got to be a little more selfish. Like I said, that’s tough. But then I have to realize that that’s what’s going to help the team — help the team be successful.”
As a young guard, well before his growth spurt, Olynyk was more of an on-court director than star soloist.
“For me, it’s always about the team, just trying to make sure the team’s playing at as high a level as it can,” he said. “The goal for me is, you know, growing up I was always told the best players make their teammates better. And if tour team’s better when you’re on the floor, then you’re doing your job — whether you’re scoring, rebounding, passing, playing defense or just being a glue guy. If your team’s better when you’re on the floor, you’re doing your job.”
Now Olynyk is learning that, based on Celtics’ needs, the job can change — and he has to change. With more NBA seasoning under his belt, he believes he is better equipped to make the needed alterations in his game.
“When you’re young, it’s a little bit different,” Olynyk said. “You’re almost playing not to make mistakes rather than playing to make plays. I think once you get over that hump, then you’re fine.”
Stevens would love it if Wednesday’s second half was Olynyk’s hump day.
bob
MY NOTE: Kelly has looked more aggressive this pre-season, and that's good. He needs to shoot. Period. If he is open he needs to take the shot. I don't think coaches should pull players out of a game if they make a mistake, because that has the effect of making them afraid of making mistakes and that makes them play less aggressively, but Brad should pull Kelly out of a game if Kelly has open shots and doesn't take them, settling for the safe "round the horn" pass" instead.
Year 3 for Kelly. It would not be unreasonable to expect to see an uptick in his production. Bigs usually need a few years. He has now 2 under his belt. That's why the heat is really on Sully, he should be a year ahead of Kelly in his development. That doesn't mean he should be better than Kelly but that he should be a more fully formed product at this point in his development.
Game time today is 4:30 EDT vs NY Knicks.
.
bobheckler- Posts : 61421
Join date : 2009-10-28
Re: Celtics want more from Kelly Olynyk
by rambone Fri Oct 16, 2015 5:18 pm
7:30 eastern time. I had a mini panic attack and thought I missed the first half.
KO was tied with IT4 for best plus minus against the Knicks, at +13. The game got tight in the 3rd until Kelly went back in and went to work.
KO is generally a "plus" on the court, but when he starts hitting 3s his impact goes off the charts.
Both Hunter and KO hit back to back 3s at diffent points in the Knicks game, and I hope we see a lot more of that.
6 straight points on two shots, guys like Drummond would have to rebound and block a bunch of shots to have that kind of impact, while not wrecking the offense with their lack of skill.
KO was tied with IT4 for best plus minus against the Knicks, at +13. The game got tight in the 3rd until Kelly went back in and went to work.
KO is generally a "plus" on the court, but when he starts hitting 3s his impact goes off the charts.
Both Hunter and KO hit back to back 3s at diffent points in the Knicks game, and I hope we see a lot more of that.
6 straight points on two shots, guys like Drummond would have to rebound and block a bunch of shots to have that kind of impact, while not wrecking the offense with their lack of skill.
rambone- Posts : 1057
Join date : 2015-05-04
Re: Celtics want more from Kelly Olynyk
by bobheckler Fri Oct 16, 2015 5:23 pm
rambone wrote:7:30 eastern time. I had a mini panic attack and thought I missed the first half.
KO was tied with IT4 for best plus minus against the Knicks, at +13. The game got tight in the 3rd until Kelly went back in and went to work.
KO is generally a "plus" on the court, but when he starts hitting 3s his impact goes off the charts.
Both Hunter and KO hit back to back 3s at diffent points in the Knicks game, and I hope we see a lot more of that.
6 straight points on two shots, guys like Drummond would have to rebound and block a bunch of shots to have that kind of impact, while not wrecking the offense with their lack of skill.
rambone,
Right, thanks for the correction. Temporary disorientation made me forget I'm in California.
bob
.
bobheckler- Posts : 61421
Join date : 2009-10-28
Re: Celtics want more from Kelly Olynyk
by rambone Fri Oct 16, 2015 5:48 pm
Some poster on another forum was saying that we Americans don't know how lucky we are to get to watch NBA games in person.
One guy said he got to see the Celtics play in Italy a couple weeks ago, and he traveled from England just to get to see the Celtics live once in his life.
Makes me realize how lucky we are. I hope I get to a Celtics game this year. Taking a vacation to New Orleans or something would be fun, killing two birds with one stone.
One guy said he got to see the Celtics play in Italy a couple weeks ago, and he traveled from England just to get to see the Celtics live once in his life.
Makes me realize how lucky we are. I hope I get to a Celtics game this year. Taking a vacation to New Orleans or something would be fun, killing two birds with one stone.
rambone- Posts : 1057
Join date : 2015-05-04
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