Celtics Rookie Olynyk Making Strides

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Celtics rookie Olynyk making strides



AP Photo/Elise Amendola
Jazz forward Derrick Favors (left) plays tight defense as Celtics forward Kelly Olynyk drives during the second half of Boston's win on Wednesday night at TD Garden.




By Jim Fenton/GateHouse News Service
Posted Nov 07, 2013 @ 10:51 PM

 

WALTHAM —There has been no easing rookie Kelly Olynyk into the rotation of the rebuilding Celtics this season.

The 22-year-old forward from Gonzaga was the second player used off the bench in the season opener against the Toronto Raptors on Oct. 30, and he has averaged 22 minutes per game.

"It’s always nice to play,’’ said Olynyk following practice on Thursday afternoon. "Everyone wants to play. That’s why you’re here. You love the game of basketball and you want to play as much as you can. You want to be on the floor.’’

Coach Brad Stevens put Olynyk in the frontcourt mix right away and has kept him there, squeezing veteran Kris Humphries out of the picture for the time being.

With the Celtics going nowhere this season, it makes sense to develop the seven-footer as much as possible to get a jump on the future.

Olynyk will be back with the second unit tonight when the Celtics begin a two-game swing through Florida, facing the Orlando Magic (7:05, TV: Comcast SportsNet; radio: WBZ-98.5 FM) before playing the Heat in Miami on Saturday night.

Through five games, Olynyk is averaging 8.2 points and 4.4 rebounds and teamed with Jared Sullinger and Gerald Wallace to give the Celtics a solid combination up front in Wednesday night’s win over the Utah Jazz.

Day by day, Olynyk, the 13th player taken in last June’s NBA Draft, is making progress with his game.

"I’m just trying to come in and get better every day,’’ he said. "Sometimes you have good days and sometimes you don’t. That’s the way the cookie crumbles. You’ve got to just be ready.

"(The NBA) is basically what I thought it would be. It’s the best teams in the world, the best players in the world, you’re playing 82 games. You’ve got to improve on everything. There’s a reason you practice every day.’’

Stevens said that Olynyk, who was born in Toronto, has been picking things up at a rapid pace during the early part of his career.

"I think he’s been pretty good,’’ said Stevens. "I think he’s such a well-versed student of the game. His dad is a coach. He played in a great college program. He’s really a bright guy, an Academic All-American on top of that.


"He’s got all that stuff. He’s going to make leaps and bounds with regards to the mental aspect of the NBA and he has. We’re guarding in a system that he hasn’t guarded in before and he’s picked it up as quickly as anybody.’’

Olynyk, who made 61 percent of his shots at Gonzaga, has struggled from the field so far, going 17-for-43 (40 percent), including 0-for-8 from 3-point range.

"I don’t think he’s far (away),’’ said Stevens. "The jump shot is going to go in. The clearer your mind gets, the better you shoot it. It’s kind of the way the world works.

"I used to say that about freshmen in college. When they came in, Oct. 14-Oct. 30, no freshman ever shot it well because they didn’t know what they didn’t know. Their heads were spinning.

"They had all kinds of stuff going on in their lives and then when they settled down, they started doing a lot better. I think you see the same thing with rookies in this league.’’


bob



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He's had his ups and downs. But KO is willing to get in there and fight. I think it's also important for his development that Stevens has let him play through his struggles.


KJ