Kelly Olynyk-Nikola Mirotic Battle Key In First Round Matchup Between Celtics and Bulls

The matchup between Kelly Olynyk and Nikola Mirotic, two sharpshooting foreign big men, could loom large in the Celtics’ first round tilt against the Bulls.

Heading into the postseason, the Boston Celtics are aware that contributions from the supporting cast surrounding point guard Isaiah Thomas will loom large in their quest to defend the Eastern Conference’s first overall seed.

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With the Celtics reserves in mind, center Kelly Olynyk‘s ability to produce offensively could make the largest indent on Boston’s chances of escaping their Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series with the Chicago Bulls without tremendous tumult. Oddly enough, the Bulls have an outside shooting threat standing above the 6’10” threshold as well who could become an X-factor for the series as well in third-year veteran Nikola Mirotic.

While neither option is threatening on the defensive side of the ball as both boast defensive ratings of at least 105, both Olynyk and Mirotic are crucial to their respective squad’s ability to spread the floor surrounding their primary scorers in Thomas and Chicago’s All-Star shooting guard Jimmy Butler. Each side is doomed offensively if the ball stalls in the hands of either star on a consistent basis, as this will allow the defense on both sides to close in on the two, trapping them from getting to the basket or making a play for their teammates. Thus, the ability of Olynyk and Mirotic to bring their defenders out to the perimeter and prevent rim-protectors from lingering in the paint will be key.

Despite shooting just 27.7 percent from long range following the All-Star break, Olynyk proved his worth from three-point land prior to the break, hitting 37.9 percent of his treys, including months of January and February in which he converted over 40 percent of his deep looks. In two games against the Bulls, Olynyk hit four of his eight long balls. He found a niche for himself this season in the pick-and-pop with Thomas and point guard Marcus Smart, and his capability of shooting the three-point shot draws opposing centers out of the paint to guard him on the perimeter. This effectively creates driving lanes for Thomas, something which could be hard to come by as three-time All-NBA Defensive Second Team selection Butler chases Thomas around the perimeter throughout the upcoming series.

Mirotic plays a similar role for his squad, creating opportunity for Butler to create offense with his shooting potential. The difference is that Mirotic is one of the few options on the Bulls who the Celtics must respect from long range. Chicago finished just 24th in the NBA with a three-point percentage of 34 percent while making just 1831 three-pointers on the season, the second-worst mark in the league. In comparison, Boston converted on an astounding 2742 three-pointers, the third-highest figure in the NBA.

Mirotic is so crucial to the result of the series because if he is on target from long range, Chicago’s offense is a completely different beast. Shooting 34.2 percent from deep, the Spaniard led the team in both three-point makes (1.8) and attempts (5.4) per night in the regular season, one of four active players on the squad to average double-digit scoring numbers per night (10.6).

Typically, when Mirotic is on target, the Bulls garner the victory. Going back to February 24, the Bulls have emerged victorious in six of the last seven games that he has garnered at least 20 points. This included 28-point, six-three outings against the Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Philadelphia 76ers over the past three weeks.

Next: Boston Celtics Regular Season Awards

Chicago’s chances of spreading out the Celtics defensive front and stealing multiple games in the series lies on Mirotic’s ability to capitalize on his deep range, just as Olynyk must step up to pace the cast surrounding Thomas.

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