It has been yet another up and down year for Kelly Olynyk. Will the consistency ever come?
Kelly Olynyk was not offered an extension before the season began — though he acknowledges he didn’t expect one — which could mean his days in a green jersey are numbered. How do Celtics fans feel about that? It all depends on when you ask them.
If you asked them today, they wouldn’t bat an eye at the thought of moving on from Olynyk. If you asked them a few weeks ago, before the All-Star break, they might have offered a different answer. Therein lies the problem with Olynyk.
His four seasons with the Celtics have been filled with inconsistency. At his best, he’s capable of filling that sixth or seventh man role. A sharpshooting big who can stretch the floor and contribute 10+ points per game, Olynyk can be a valuable piece. At his worst, he appears overwhelmed both physically and athletically, lost at times and is a source of fans’ frustration.
There’s nothing more frustrating than watching a seven-footer who is uncomfortable playing around the basket. Though not his preferred style of play, there’s no excuse for Olynyk, with his size, to be as soft as he is under the basket. He needs to be stronger, and more aggressive with the ball in his hands down low.
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It’s as if he is unsure of himself and his ability around the basket. He hesitates too often, and goes up too soft. While rebounding is not conducive to his style of play, he should be better at it given his height.
Olynyk is maddeningly hot and cold. His performance over the past month or so is his career in a nutshell. Back on February 5, Olynyk poured in 13 points in 22 minutes in a victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. That kicked off a seven-game stretch in which Olynyk averaged 14.5 points, 6.7 rebounds and shot nearly 62 percent from the floor and 50 percent from three.
In the seven games since? Olynyk has averaged less than five points, shot 33 percent from the field and made just one of 12 three-point attempts.
Olynyk has proved that he is capable of playing at the NBA level. His talent isn’t the issue, it’s his Jekyll and Hyde tendencies. He tends to disappear for weeks at a time leading many to wonder why he’s on the floor. Then, just as you’re about to write him off, he goes on a hot streak that shows he belongs.
In the first couple of years of a player’s career, inconsistent play is expected. Yet, as he nears the end of his fourth season, Olynyk is still struggling with it. Yes, there have been some nagging injuries that have kept him off the floor for extended amounts of time. That can certainly make life difficult for a young player. However, health has had no bearing on Olynyk this year.
If Olynyk manages to appear in 14 of Boston’s final 18 games, it’ll be the most games he’s appeared in since his rookie season. He missed the first six games of this season, and has missed just one since then. Despite enjoying his healthiest season yet, Olynyk’s numbers have regressed from last year.
While he’s on pace to post a career-high in field goal percentage, his three-point shooting, free throw shooting and overall points per game are all down from last year.
He has the ability to bring a crowd to its feet on one possession, and proceed to have them collectively rip their hair out on the next.
As Olynyk plays out the final months of his rookie contract, his future with the Boston Celtics remains unclear. For the second consecutive year, the Celtics will enter free agency with money to spend. If Boston is able to land a prized free agent or two, where does that leave Olynyk?
Next: Other Celtics Need to Step Up
It’s no secret that Brad Stevens loves bigs who can stretch the floor, meaning there’s always room on the roster for a player like Olynyk. If he can’t be relied upon consistently, that spot may become somebody else’s.