OK, Kelly is a keeper.

There. I've said it. Kelly has finally decided rebounds are worth snagging and shots are worth taking. Finally. Resign him Danny. Before he changes his mind again and becomes super soft.

I say let the market set his price.

we can match any deal, so unless he is willing to let money on the table ( in Danny's eyes) to stay, lets see what the market brings.

I fear that his market value will surprise some members here and he may becopme the priciest FA we sign this off-season.

Heaven forbid.

I agree with kdp, let the market set its price.  If he has become a born-again rebounder then the price for him will be high since he does other things well.

With the likelihood of Zizic making the roster next year I consider Zeller's return unlikely.  Zizic, however, is not a replacement for floor-stretching, good-passing Kelly Olynyk.  We still need someone like Kelly.  If we drop to 4th in the draft and take Markkanen then Kelly becomes expendable after Markkanen's rookie year but before then?  He is a key piece in today's NBA.

The good news is that we have Bird Rights on Kelly, so we can go over the cap to re-sign him. He just needs to be patient and wait until Danny is done trading before he signs on the dotted line.


bob


.

Bird rights? Good to hear that.

bobheckler wrote:I agree with kdp, let the market set its price.  If he has become a born-again rebounder then the price for him will be high since he does other things well.

With the likelihood of Zizic making the roster next year I consider Zeller's return unlikely.  Zizic, however, is not a replacement for floor-stretching, good-passing Kelly Olynyk.  We still need someone like Kelly.  If we drop to 4th in the draft and take Markkanen then Kelly becomes expendable after Markkanen's rookie year but before then?  He is a key piece in today's NBA.

The good news is that we have Bird Rights on Kelly, so we can go over the cap to re-sign him.  He just needs to be patient and wait until Danny is done trading before he signs on the dotted line.


bob


.

bob

I agree with your below statement

"He just needs to be patient and wait until Danny is done trading before he signs on the dotted line."

Land the big fish 1st - then worry about the pieces needed to finish the puzzle.

swish

I have to admit that KO is playing his best basketball ever.  

Seems to have figured  out how to rebound in traffic.  Also  doing a good job taking it to the hoop or passing to the  open man.

He becomes a keeper  if he plays like this the rest of the season including the playoffs.

dbodd

http://www.masslive.com/celtics/index.ssf/2017/03/kelly_olynyk_boston_celtics_bi_1.html#incart_river_index


BY TOM WESTERHOLM
BOSTON -- One of the most common complaints Boston Celtics fans voice regarding Kelly Olynyk is that he can be slow to take 3-pointers, even when he's open.

This is a problem for a few reasons. Perhaps most pressing is that Olynyk is a career 36.8 percent shooter from behind the arc, and that number actually seems low. Olynyk's ability to space the floor as a big man is crucial for the Celtics, who rely on penetration from their guards. When he passes on open 3-pointers, it hurts everyone.

Brad Stevens, of course, is well aware.

"I think everyone just needs to play to their strengths, to do what they do best," Stevens said after Boston's 109-100 win over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday. "I think sometimes Kelly sells himself short on all the great things he does. His ability to space the floor, his ability to drive the ball, his ability to make the right basketball play is really good, and we need him to do that for us to be the best version of ourselves."

In many ways, Olynyk's versatility makes him the type of player Stevens seems to appreciate. He entered the game late in the first quarter against the Pacers and promptly drilled a 3-pointer. Later, in the second quarter, he pump-faked out of a 3-pointer, then pushed his way into the lane before hitting a tough step-back jumper near the rim. Then, in just over a minute, he wracked up a pair of assists before exiting the game with a minute left in period, as the Celtics pushed their first-half lead to seven.

"Any big that can shoot the ball the way he can and make plays for others," Avery Bradley said after the game, "that's big for any team."

Olynyk finished with 11 points. He made his only 3-point attempt and was 5-for-6 from the floor, pulling down eight rebounds and dishing out four assists in 31 minutes. In Boston's last two games, both wins, Olynyk has either been Boston's top rebounder or tied for the best mark.

After the game, a reporter tried to ask Bradley if Olynyk gives himself enough credit as a player. Bradley cut him off.

"He doesn't," Bradley said vehemently. "I don't think he does. We always tell Kelly when he's thinking that as a basketball player, you have to go out there and play. You can't think the whole time on the floor. Kelly is very capable of scoring high numbers and making plays for our team. He's a very smart player. It's our job as his teammates to continue to encourage him, and it's his job to continue to work and go out there and play his game."

A couple of missed shots can eat away at a shooter's confidence (although Olynyk's shooting line on Wednesday was nearly impeccable), which could help explain why the Celtics support Olynyk so vocally. But Bradley seemingly went out of his way to praise the big man.

"I try to motivate him all the time, because I know how good Kelly is," Bradley said. "I know how good he can be. We just have to continue to keep him positive and tell him to go out there and play his game."

For Stevens, his goal in motivating Olynyk is simple.

"I just want him to know," Stevens said, "that I think he's a really good basketball player."

BOSTON CELTICS - MASSLIVE.

I still think his shoulder surgery held him back earlier this season. As the season trudges on, his contributions and consistency seem to be improving, just in time for the playoffs.



gyso

bobheckler wrote:I agree with kdp, let the market set its price.  If he has become a born-again rebounder then the price for him will be high since he does other things well.

With the likelihood of Zizic making the roster next year I consider Zeller's return unlikely.  Zizic, however, is not a replacement for floor-stretching, good-passing Kelly Olynyk.  We still need someone like Kelly.  If we drop to 4th in the draft and take Markkanen then Kelly becomes expendable after Markkanen's rookie year but before then?  He is a key piece in today's NBA.

The good news is that we have Bird Rights on Kelly, so we can go over the cap to re-sign him.  He just needs to be patient and wait until Danny is done trading before he signs on the dotted line.


bob


.

Bob,

I would agree that essentially Lauri Markkanen = Kelly. Lauri is not a strong rebounder or defender. His one outstanding skill is he can shoot it like nobody's business.

I wouldn't expect us to take him regardless of our draft spot. Even at 4, that would still be over-reaching and too early for him.

Regards

NYCelt wrote:

bobheckler wrote:I agree with kdp, let the market set its price.  If he has become a born-again rebounder then the price for him will be high since he does other things well.

With the likelihood of Zizic making the roster next year I consider Zeller's return unlikely.  Zizic, however, is not a replacement for floor-stretching, good-passing Kelly Olynyk.  We still need someone like Kelly.  If we drop to 4th in the draft and take Markkanen then Kelly becomes expendable after Markkanen's rookie year but before then?  He is a key piece in today's NBA.

The good news is that we have Bird Rights on Kelly, so we can go over the cap to re-sign him.  He just needs to be patient and wait until Danny is done trading before he signs on the dotted line.


bob


.

Bob,

I would agree that essentially Lauri Markkanen = Kelly.  Lauri is not a strong rebounder or defender.  His one outstanding skill is he can shoot it like nobody's business.

I wouldn't expect us to take him regardless of our draft spot.  Even at 4, that would still be over-reaching and too early for him.

Regards

NYCelt,

Unless Danny trades down.


bob


.

I believe that Olynyk's future contract value will be determined by how consistently he can play out the rest of the season to include the playoffs.

If he can show that his play in recent games is what he can continue to do he will become much less of a gamble salary wise. If he slides back into the 4 point, 2 rebound, 6 minute Olynyk that he has often showed he will much more of a gamble and will get a smaller contract offer as a result.

Consistency has been his major problem since arriving in Boston. Right from the beginning you could see that he had some good things about his game. In years two and three he got better and better, but was again too inconsistent in his play from game to game. Right now he is playing his best overall basketball, and we all hope that this continues.

bobheckler wrote:

NYCelt wrote:

bobheckler wrote:I agree with kdp, let the market set its price.  If he has become a born-again rebounder then the price for him will be high since he does other things well.

With the likelihood of Zizic making the roster next year I consider Zeller's return unlikely.  Zizic, however, is not a replacement for floor-stretching, good-passing Kelly Olynyk.  We still need someone like Kelly.  If we drop to 4th in the draft and take Markkanen then Kelly becomes expendable after Markkanen's rookie year but before then?  He is a key piece in today's NBA.

The good news is that we have Bird Rights on Kelly, so we can go over the cap to re-sign him.  He just needs to be patient and wait until Danny is done trading before he signs on the dotted line.


bob


.

Bob,

I would agree that essentially Lauri Markkanen = Kelly.  Lauri is not a strong rebounder or defender.  His one outstanding skill is he can shoot it like nobody's business.

I wouldn't expect us to take him regardless of our draft spot.  Even at 4, that would still be over-reaching and too early for him.

Regards

NYCelt,

Unless Danny trades down.


bob


.

Bob,

True.

Knowing the players that are likely to be there with the first 4 spots, I would normally be willing to bet a large sum we keep the pick.

Based on our current head of basketball operations history, I think I'll keep the wallet in my pocket.

Regards

gyso wrote:I still think his shoulder surgery held him back earlier this season.  As the season trudges on, his contributions and consistency seem to be improving, just in time for the playoffs.



gyso

+1

reading that second story sounds like Kelly is a guy with confidence issues. not a normal thing for professional players. They usually have an INFLATED opinion of themselves.

you can't turn someone into an alpha personality I don't think. Which means to me that Kelly will never be more than a second option ever.

baring a collapse in his play, I think he'll still earn a payday in the $12-15M range!!


Bob, you make a good point about Zeller not playing up to his $8M salary, Since it is non -guaranteed, Danny can cut him and use that money along with some cap space to sign an upgrade for Amir.

Even with that I think that Ainge may still be only looking at players in the $12-15M range, assuming that Kelly resigns for what I think he will cost.

looking at UFA next year, I still like Ibaka to be possible that guy.

Horford
Ibaka
Kelly
Zizic
Yabusele

Crowder
Brown

Bradley
IT
Smart
Fultz?
Rozier
Jackson

That team would be Guard heavy, but possible only for one year. Two additional spots left also, so players like Amir, Jerebko, Green could be re-signed even for depth if the $$ align. I could see Amir coming back on a 2 year deal similar to Zellers this year to be honest. How much Danny is willing to go over the cap may be the question.

Jared Weiss @JaredWeissNBA
about 1 hour ago
On Kelly Olynyk's free agency: After speaking with a slew of front office people recently, the consensus on his top market value is ~$13m.
reply retweet like



bob


.

Re-signing Olynyk for $13 M and getting another big man (Ibaka, Noel) in the same financial range may be a better approach to than hoping for a max level guy this summer.

Get the elite player this year - or stand pat this year and hoard the chips for next year or the year after. Keep the payroll down until we know what its going to cost to bring a super star to Boston.


swish

I forgot Noel, though he is a RFA and harder to pry away.

Location, location, location??? A key phrase in the discussion or real estate.

Consistency, Consistency, Consistency?????? A key phrase in the discussion of basketball teams and players.

Not to put a team loss on one player, but in a three point loss last night to Milwaukee Kelly Olynyk had ZERO rebounds, ZERO points, took only one shot and only earned 7 minutes of playing time.

Unless he was sick or injured (neither reported) our team needs MUCH, MUCH better games from Mr. Olynyk every night. Also, relating to a big paycheck next season, Mr. Olynyk needs much better games from Mr. Olynyk every night.

I did not watch the game last night. I'm not going to put the blame on Kelly. Why dod Brad limt his minutes so severely? I can't fault KO for not producing when he was barely on the floor. When was he on the floor - early or late?

What jumped out at me in the box score was Marcus' performance. He played 29:55 and went 11/11/5...decent numbers until one considers he was 4 for 15 from the field, 2 for 4 from the line, and 1 for 7 from three point land. Given that horrible shooting record, how was it that Marcus was entrusted with the final shot, a three point attempt?????? I really don't get it. I'd blame Brad and Marcus for the loss more than Kelly.

His absence was obvious last night. He was put in early in the game and he was just not "there". Stevens took him out and it took quite a while to get back in for short minutes. He was eaten alive by the Greek, who, in my estimation, if one hell of a player.

Unfortunately for Kelly, he has had these tendencies in the past where he just disappears. His stretch recently has been great to watch. He is a Stevens guy, but, like Turner last year, someone may just give him the crazy money and Danny will think twice about matching it.

He is a freak of nature, let's sit him in front of the television when his beloved Gonzaga plays, hope they go crazy and win big, and maybe he will be energized for the rest of the season!!

Rosalie

worcester wrote:I did not watch the game last night. I'm not going to put the blame on Kelly. Why dod Brad limt his minutes so severely? I can't fault KO for not producing when he was barely on the floor. When was he on the floor - early or late?

What jumped out at me in the box score was  Marcus' performance. He played 29:55 and went 11/11/5...decent numbers until one considers he was 4 for 15 from the field, 2 for 4 from the line, and 1 for 7 from three point land. Given that horrible shooting record, how was it that Marcus was entrusted with the final shot, a three point attempt?????? I really don't get it. I'd blame Brad and Marcus for the loss more than Kelly.

Worcester,

Kelly was in early and out early.

Smart took the last shot because the inbound pass to IT was deflected and ended up in Smart's hands.  It was a very difficult shot and I do not blame him for missing that one, nor the buzzer beater miss to end the half.  It is his other 5 missed 3s that were the problem.  His effort, however, was unbelievable.  110% effort every second of every minute.


bob

.

Well, maybe Kelly's not a keeper then?

Smart, on the other hand, looks like he is.

I like Rosalie's suggestion.  Maybe if Gonzaga has a good game Saturday, Kelly will get all jacked up and play!

An inquiring basketball fan wants to know why KO is playing well towards the tail end of the season.........why why why...............Oh I get it

HE'S A FREE AGENT NEXT YEAR LOOKING FOR TOP DOLLAR!

WHERE WAS KO ALL THESE PAST YEARS...........HMMMMMMMM

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