Olynyk shows future promise
The word “disappointing” would not be a fair description of Kelly Olynyk’s rookie season with the Boston Celtics. Rookie seasons are for learning from many mistakes while slowly, steadily getting better. Olynyk’s team, like most who select early in the NBA draft, was awful. Indeed, the Celtics were so awful they were content heading into the draft lottery in 2014. The 2103-2014 season saw Boston G.M. Danny Ainge trade productive players for more draft picks, shorter financial commitment and the hope of a brighter future. Therefore, Olynyk’s development is given a longer view. There is less pressure and more patience.
Offensive potential is Olynyk’s most appealing trait. He’s tall and can shoot – a rarity heavily sought after by NBA personnel men. Someday he’ll learn floor spacing, how to exploit smaller defenders in the post and score from unpredictable areas on a consistent basis.
In his rookie year, most of his points were of the “hustle” variety: offensive rebounds, timely cuts into space and rim runs. His spot-up shooting showed vast improvement in the last month of regular season play. His back-to-the-basket ability needs work.
Comparisons to Dallas Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki are logical: they are the same size, entered the league with the same offensive skillset, both wear jersey No. 41 and had long hair. Both can shoot from behind the three-point line and popping out on a pick-and-roll.
Olynyk’s passing is already impressive for a 22-year-old, both to a fellow big man in the paint and as an initiator from the high post. This skill is not vital in a high-usage seven-footer, but does add several dimensions to an offense lacking creativity. His path to becoming successful is paved with crisp rotations, no hesitation and knowing where he’s supposed to be at all times.
The Celtics thought highly enough of Olynyk to trade up for him in a bad 2013 draft. Hints of a special player were seen from time to time, especially toward the end of the 2013-2014 season when he looked faster, stronger and explosive enough to create his own shot.
Olynyk broke out with three 20-plus games to finish the year, changing the perception of his rookie season into one that strongly suggested promise. Injuries to frontcourt players Kris Humphries and Jared Sullinger allowed Olynyk to average 34.6 minutes in the last three games when he scored 25, 28 and 24 points in succession.
The injuries to the other big men provided him the opportunity to get out there and get some valuable experience. Olynyk received lots of looks and touches to help him grow as a player. His self-confidence skyrocketed from early in the season when he passed up open shots and hesitated to make passes he would normally make with ease.
It was hoped by Celtics brass that Kelly Olynyk’s late-season spurt turns into the blossoming of a bright NBA career.
Fast forward to the present 2014-2015 season: Olynyk has been a bright spot for the rebuilding Celtics franchise that traded away its two remaining stars in January (point guard Rajon Rondo and top scorer Jeff Green). Olynyk is putting his full attention toward working on ways to improve his game in the latter half of his sophomore campaign.
Olynyk is working on his assertiveness, self-confidence and his abilities on the defensive end of the floor. He’s receiving high marks for his improved positioning and surprising mobility. Perhaps the word consistency is thrown around most when discussing areas where Olynyk’s game can improve.
At his best the seven-footer has proven to be an efficient scorer – he’s averaging 11.1 points per game and shooting over 50 percent from the field (top 25 in the league) this season – who can handle the ball well and stretch the floor with his three-point shot (stats through January 23).
He’ll still go through stretches where he struggles to provide anything offensively. It is because of these offensive slumps, combined with his inability to compete physically with some of the league’s stronger frontcourts defensively, that Olynyk lost his starting spot to Tyler Zeller. His contributions coming off the bench have proven invaluable. If he solves the consistency challenge, he’ll be a major part of the new Boston Celtics core for years to come.
Len proving himself in a year or two
In the 2013-2014 National Basketball Association season, 36 rookies played more minutes than Phoenix Sun Alex Len. Rookie big men Steven Adams, Cody Zeller, Mason Plumlee and fellow Ukrainian Kelly Olynyk all benefitted from bigger roles and better health.
No rush-to-judgment on Len’s inaugural term would be fair for several reasons. He was only 20 years old, had two off-season ankle injuries, and missed NBA Summer League and nearly two months of his first regular season due to rehab or additional physical setbacks.
Hopeful validation for Phoenix investing in a No. 5 overall pick in Len has come in his second season.
The second half of his rookie campaign saw Len moving free of ankle issues, covering the court like a deer with long, quick strides. He sprinted toward guards to set screens and rolled hard with hands ready for a quick pass. He recognized and defended opposing drivers in pick-and-roll defense. He crashed the offensive boards, utilizing his long reach to slap loose balls out to teammates. One can only imagine how much he’ll improve once he gets some consistent practice time, something he wasn’t able to do due to injuries.
He has shooting range for pick-and-pop potential. A former gymnast, Len has great agility and the foot speed for pick-and-rolls once he gets stronger to catch and finish in lane traffic. He has consistently demonstrated the strong work ethic he promised upon his arrival in June 2013, when General Manager Ryan McDonough said “the sky’s the limit” for him.
In the latter half of the 2013-2014 campaign Len showed he lacked polish, maturity and wasn’t sturdy enough to make a major impact. Yet coach Jeff Hornacek displayed patience and trust in permitting Len to grow into a rotation role for the playoff chase. His length and rebounding focus were definite assets.
Len was hungry to learn, but his on-court development was stunted when he could not work with assistant coaches Mark West and Kenny Gattison due to a troublesome left ankle. Instead he attacked the weight room with daily sessions for two months.
Len prioritizes his defense ahead of his offense although the scoring potential for a skilled, mobile big man with touch is limitless. One must remember he got a late start in basketball as a teenager and spent the first of his two college years at Maryland adapting to a new culture and language. Still, he looks very natural when shooting over an opposing seven-footer inside for a basket, following a driving guard to slam back his miss or catching a roll pass high and dunking it barely off his toes.
In the 2014-2015 NBA season, Len is a Ukrainian going full speed ahead! A Phoenix Sun for 18-plus months, it is like his rookie season is just coming to a close.
The most convincing statistic attached to Len is the team’s winning record since he became a starter on December 15, 2014. His personal numbers are quite respectable as a starter, considering he averages only 20.4 minutes and still scores 6.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game (stats through January 23).
The team appreciates Len’s turnaround because it sees how hard he worked in rehab, how dedicated he is in the weight room and how much he studies game video to learn more about himself and opponents. After looking injury-prone his rookie year, Len has shown how tough he really is, whether by his willingness to deliver a hard foul in trying to avoid giving up an easy basket or the ferocity of his dunks with a scream volume to match.
In his age group of young centers and power forwards like Andre Drummond, Steven Adams and Nerlens Noel, Len is the most skilled, with no potential hole in his game other than speed. The joke is he makes up for his lack of speed with his length and agility.
He is now far tougher than his rookie-year image of a skinny kid with sore ankles. Len will become stronger, filling out a frame that reaches nine-feet-two when he stands with his arms straight up in front of a driving guard.
He might be closer to a rookie at this stage of his career, but Len has given serious hints of becoming a franchise center.