Boston Celtics Position Battle: Johnson vs Olynyk

Looking into who is a better option to start alongside Al Horford in Kelly Olynyk and Amir Johnson

The Boston Celtics have one stable piece in their front court with Al Horford, and they have greatly contrasting players that may start and play along him in Kelly Olynyk and Amir Johnson. While Johnson is the favourite to reclaim his role as a starter from a season ago, the upside with Olynyk could be tremendous, and he could easily surpass Johnson in minutes per game.

If the Celtics are looking to put together their best defensive lineup, then Johnson appears to be an easy choice. He was their best interior defender a season ago, and with him playing alongside Horford, the Celtics can quickly flip the script with their interior defense. Too often the Celtics were abused by dominant big men and too often they gave up easy buckets at the rim and they can put that fully behind them this season.

The Celtics still may not have an elite shot blocker (yes we are waiting for you Jordan Mickey) but a Horford Johnson combination could finally make up a front court that will force opposing offenses to adjust. Throw in how that can benefit one of the most opportunistic core of guards in the NBA and they could have one of the most well rounded and balanced defenses in the league, just one year after having one of the most unbalanced defenses in the league. As good as the Celtics guards were on defense last year, there’s no telling what they can become as a defensive team if they get an advantage in their front court.

Given how the Celtics have favoured defensive impact in the past, Johnson is in the best position to start. That being said, Olynyk may not be too far behind, and while there may be greater risk, the upside cannot be denied.

The Celtics have been looking for shooting and floor spacing out of their bigs and they have struggled tremendously in that area. Just like Johnson could give the Celtics the defensive balance they have been looking for, Olynyk could bring the offensive balance with Horford. Two stretch fives gives the Celtics a truly unique way of attacking defenses and if Olynyk can pick up from last year, then his defense may not be too far behind Johnson.

Rebounding and shot blocking is an area the Celtics will certainly feel the difference between Johnson and Olynyk, but that should be the worst of it. With just 4.1 rebounds per game and 0.5 blocks per game, it becomes difficult to reconcile that Olynyk was a sound defender last year. With a defensive rating of 103 and a positive defensive box plus minus, Olynyk found ways to be a contributing defender, even if it did not shot up on the box score.

With 6.4 rebounds per game and 1.1 blocks per game, Johnson clearly had a bigger impact on opposing offenses. That being said, his defensive rating of 102 is not far off from Olynyk. Olynyk has proven that he is no longer a defensive liability, and he is fully capable of filling in without being abused by opposing players.

The problem is that rebounding and shot blocking were big areas of concern for the Celtics last year. Horford is expected to lead the Celtics in those areas. Unforunately, while Horford has been a phenomenal defender throughout his career, he has never put up staggering rebounding or blocking numbers. While he can expect them to increase with little competition in Boston, a career 8.9 rebounds per game and 1.2 blocks per game amplifies how valuable Johnson’s contributions in those areas can be.

While the Celtics would need Johnson to be at their best defensively, Olynyk has a better chance of giving the Celtics their best lineup on both ends. As long as Olynyk can continue to be a sound and positive defender, putting him next to Horford makes his three point shooting more valuable than Johnson’s contributions in the paint.

The Celtics continually used their defense to make up for their offense last season. They needed turnovers and they needed to make sure they optimized the quantity and quality of their opportunities in order to be effective enough on the offensive end. The Celtics were one of the highest scoring teams in the league last year, but their defensive efficiency blew their offensive efficiency away.

With Johnson in the lineup, Horford alone may not be enough to give the Celtics the shooting they need to go along with their quantity of opportunities and great ball movement. Horford is a game changer on the offensive end for the Celtics, but one of the worst three point shooting teams in the league will not be transformed by one player.

If the Celtics put Olynyk next to Horford they can still be confident that their defense will be their biggest strength, while blowing away the offensive potential with Johnson in the lineup. Last season, Olynyk and, in limited minutes, Jonas Jerebko were the only options when it came to floor spacing in their front court. Now, the Celtics have an opportunity to have the kind of front court shooting duo that they have been searching for.

Throw in that a starting lineup of Isaiah Thomas, Avery Bradley, Jae Crowder, Olynyk and Horford does not have a single player that cannot shoot the three, and they could give the Celtics all the floor spacing they have desperately been searching for in their starting lineup.

With the way Brad Stevens uses his forwards interchangeably, it should not be too much of a concern that Olynyk and Horford are both natural fives. Either one of them could switch over to the four and it should have little to no impact on how they contribute on the court.

Johnson is the safe and likely option for the defense first Celtics but the upside to playing Olynyk gives the Celtics their highest potential. They spent an entire season making up for defensive liabilities in the front court and that could reduce the importance of Johnson’s role, particularly after considering that Horford will prevent Johnson from having as big of an impact last season.

While Olynyk could greatly benefit and be a much improved offensive player because of the floor spacing that Horford provides. Johnson could regress in those areas that make him a better option than Olynyk because of Horford’s presence.

Next: James Young Era Nearing a Close in Boston

The Celtics’ roster is still unsettled and uncertain but they need to make sure that does not continue into the regular season. It took months for the Celtics to settle into a consistent rotation last year and the main reason why was the front court. Johnson and Olynyk give the Celtics contrasting options, but they need to make sure they find that optimal starting lineup and rotation right out of the gate if they want to be consistent enough to contend for a top spot in the east.