The Boston Celtics already know they will be missing one of their best offensive weapons when they return from the All Star break. Kelly Olynyk has been ruled out of frdays’s hame against the Jazz and is seeking a second opinion regarding his injured shoulders. NESN has revealed that Olynyk is expected to miss even more time beyond that, the exact duration is still unknown.
Kelly Olynyk has never been a regular starter for the Celtics but he has been one of their most valuable players this season. Not only has he been the best three point shooter on the team, but he has been one of the best in the entire league. Olynyk has also developed his game into more than a three point shooter. He has found out how to effectively use his shot fake in order to create more room on the inside for himself and his teammates. Throw in that Olynyk is vastly improved on the defensive end and he is in contention for one of the three most important players on the team.
The fact that Olynyk is coming off the bench may lead some to believe that he is not quite as important but that is far from the case with the Celtics. Their second unit has been one of the strongest and most important in the NBA and Olynyk is the main reason why this season. Being a stretch 5 already makes Olynyk a matchup nightmare but if you throw in the fact that it is against other team’s second unit and he becomes an aboslute terror for opposing coaches to account for.
The Celtics play in an almost platoon like system with little drop off between their different units. Without Olynyk, it is hard to se where the Celtics will find the necessary offense to continue to get a boost from their second unit. The two other primary players with the second unit, Marcus Smart and Evan Turner, can provide offense but neither approach the kind of damage Olynyk does from three.
Olynyk will be sorely missed and there is no other player on the second unit that can replicate his impact. There is no other player who can create the matchup problems that he does and with him holding his own on defense the second unit should expect struggles with Olynyk out of the lineup.
The good news is that one the thing Celtics are not short of is front court depth. Even if it will be impossible to get the same impact that Olynyk provides, there are other players who will have an opportunity to step up. Jonas Jerebko has been the only player that has approached Olynyk’s three point percentage but his game is much less dynamic. Jerebko needs to makes sure that he continues to give the Celtics a legitimate three point threat because without him that second unit will not generate the offense they need.
Tyler Zeller is the other player that will be needed to step up but he plays a completely different game. Zeller keeps everything inside the three point line and uses a great mid range game to have an offensive impact. Zeller was much improved just before the all star break but he may be tested with much more responsibility. Without Olynyk, Zeller can become one of the top options with the second unit and Stevens may opt to run a lot more offense through him.
Jerebko and Zeller can be formidable players off the bench but they will never recapture how dynamic Olynyk is. Defenses will be much less troubled with the two of them and even if they play well, they simply do not posses the skill set to have the kind of impact that Olynyk does.
Even if it is a different impact, the second unit players need to step up for the Celtics. Even without Olynyk they can continue to have an advantage with their second unit but if the players taking on Olynyk’s responsibilities play poorly then the Celtics will lose one of the biggest advantages they have against any team.
The good news is that Stevens should be able to find a way to run the second unit without Olynyk in a way that gets production. The ball handling guards will have to do a better job of creating the opportunities that will be lost without Olynyk. Olynyk’s dynamic game directly impacts the success of his teammates but Zeller and Jerebko do not have that kind of impact.
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If Turner and Smart can find a way to continually put Zeller and Jerebko in positions to succeed offensively then they will be able to sustain solid offensive play despite not having their best offensive weapon with the second unit.