Kelly Olynyk Suffers Knee Injury

Kelly Olynyk is representing his home country Canada in the Tuto Marchand Cup but he got a stark reality check when he got tangled up with an opposing player and was forced to leave the game with a knee injury.

Olynyk is one of the more frustrating players to Celtics fans but the unfortunate reality is that the Celtics need the depth he brings to the center position and his three point shooting. Olynyk has the third best three point shooting percentage on the team from a season ago and bringing that from the center position is something no one else on the Celtics can provide.

The good news is that even though Olynyk did not resume play he did return to the bench. All early indications are that Olynyk did not suffer a serious injury and this should in no way impact the Celtics’ plans for the season.

It is never good news when a player suffers an injury but if Olynyk is limited in training camp and the preseason he could be giving other players opportunities to take away his role. This will give Tyler Zeller even more opportunities to become both the starter and the leader in center minutes on the team.

Mar 16, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics guard Avery Bradley (0) welcomes forward center Tyler Zeller (44) to the bench during the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at TD Garden. The Boston Celtics won 108-89. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

Throw in that both Amir Johnson and David Lee and maybe even Jordan Mickey will get a chance to play center and all it takes it one breakout training camp to threaten Olynyk’s spot on the team.

The Celtics may never be able to get Olynyk’s three point shooting from the center position but the other options are better than Olynyk in almost every phase of the game. Olynyk is a liability on the defensive end and is way too inconsistent on the offensive end to have security with his role.

It will be difficult for both Johnson and Lee to get playing time with the role that Mickey and Sullinger are expected to have and a way around that problem would be switching one of them over to the center position.

Someone will have to pick up the slack if Olynyk misses any time with this injury as he is the only other center on the team and whoever that player is will have the potential to do enough to become the number two center on the team.

Olynyk is far from a safe player on the Celtics so any time he misses because of this injury will hurt his role on the team. The Celtics have the kind of depth to ensure that he will remain expendable.

The only way this may help Olynyk’s status with the team is his trade value. The Celtics may have struggled to deal Olynyk in the first place but if he is dealing with any kind of significant knee injury, no team will want to touch him.

The good news is that it appears to be a minor injury but until something official is said Olynyk may have to worry about his role with the team

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