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Nice article about Kelly from the Boston Globe, with a great photo:
Celtics’ power forwards the center of attention
By Gary Washburn
| Globe Staff October 03, 2014
By Gary Washburn
| Globe Staff October 03, 2014
WALTHAM — Although Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge reshaped the roster over the past two years, he wasn’t able to pull off the blockbuster deal the organization desired, hence a series of logjams at key positions as the team approaches its first preseason game.
The most crowded position is power forward, where Jared Sullinger, Brandon Bass, and Kelly Olynyk are legitimate starters who will command major minutes for coach BradStevens.
Given the wealth of talent at that position, Stevens said Thursday that he is considering using the 7-foot Olynyk, the classic definition of a “Stretch Four,” at center this season. Boston lacks a bona fide starting center with Tyler Zeller, Vitor Faverani, and Joel Anthony competing for minutes, leaving open the possibility of Olynyk receiving an opportunity.
“It’s a little bit like last year,” Stevens said. “You don’t look at them as a power forward. I think you look at them as, ‘We’ve gotta play five guys together, who fits best?’ We’ll play Kelly at the five [center] some. I’d prefer not to play Jared at the five some but if him and Bass are in there together, he’s a five. Kelly is not your prototypical five, either. He’s a little bit undersized in some ways, but he is a matchup problem on the other end for most fives as well.”
By Gary Washburn
| Globe Staff October 03, 2014
Kelly Olynyk shows off his ball-spinning skills during Celtics practice this week. The 7-foot power forward could see considerable minutes at center this season. Jim Davis/Globe Staff
By Gary Washburn
| Globe Staff October 03, 2014
WALTHAM — Although Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge reshaped the roster over the past two years, he wasn’t able to pull off the blockbuster deal the organization desired, hence a series of logjams at key positions as the team approaches its first preseason game.
The most crowded position is power forward, where Jared Sullinger, Brandon Bass, and Kelly Olynyk are legitimate starters who will command major minutes for coach BradStevens.
Given the wealth of talent at that position, Stevens said Thursday that he is considering using the 7-foot Olynyk, the classic definition of a “Stretch Four,” at center this season. Boston lacks a bona fide starting center with Tyler Zeller, Vitor Faverani, and Joel Anthony competing for minutes, leaving open the possibility of Olynyk receiving an opportunity.
“It’s a little bit like last year,” Stevens said. “You don’t look at them as a power forward. I think you look at them as, ‘We’ve gotta play five guys together, who fits best?’ We’ll play Kelly at the five [center] some. I’d prefer not to play Jared at the five some but if him and Bass are in there together, he’s a five. Kelly is not your prototypical five, either. He’s a little bit undersized in some ways, but he is a matchup problem on the other end for most fives as well.”
The key to productivity without a dominant defensive center, according to Stevens, is precision.
“Again it goes back to we’ve got to be great in the details, be playing lower [in the post] longer and then be able to scheme the [defensive] help appropriately and use our athleticism on the perimeter to help us if we get posted in matchups against some of those bigger guys,” he said.
Olynyk played in 70 games as a rookie, with nine starts, and flourished when he was allowed to run the floor. The question is whether he can adequately defend legitimate NBA centers.
“It just kind of depends on the center, right?” Stevens said. “That’s a great question. One of the things Kelly was last year, by the end of the year, he was always in the right spot. Now he would either get there just a moment too late or his hands weren’t appropriate when he got there.
“He’s really worked hard in summer league to get some of that corrected. I can tell that he worked hard with the Canadian national team and then when he came back, I just think his technique looks better. He’s in a much better position with his hands this year than he was last year.
“That’s going to be critical. He’s got to be smart to guard some of those guys because he’s going to be at a weight disadvantage.”
“Again it goes back to we’ve got to be great in the details, be playing lower [in the post] longer and then be able to scheme the [defensive] help appropriately and use our athleticism on the perimeter to help us if we get posted in matchups against some of those bigger guys,” he said.
Olynyk played in 70 games as a rookie, with nine starts, and flourished when he was allowed to run the floor. The question is whether he can adequately defend legitimate NBA centers.
“It just kind of depends on the center, right?” Stevens said. “That’s a great question. One of the things Kelly was last year, by the end of the year, he was always in the right spot. Now he would either get there just a moment too late or his hands weren’t appropriate when he got there.
“He’s really worked hard in summer league to get some of that corrected. I can tell that he worked hard with the Canadian national team and then when he came back, I just think his technique looks better. He’s in a much better position with his hands this year than he was last year.
“That’s going to be critical. He’s got to be smart to guard some of those guys because he’s going to be at a weight disadvantage.”
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