Five questions the Miami Heat need to answer heading into training camp

Working in the New Faces

Much of the storyline with the Heat this offseason centered around the returning players, but don’t overlook the new additions, mainly Kelly Olynyk who surprised everyone signing on for four years in Miami.

The rangy, stretch 5 may not have been on the Heat’s radar but, as the Boston Celtics changed the face of their franchise, Miami saw the opportunity to further bolster their frontcourt after the loss of Willie Reed.

Olynyk’s fit on this Heat team will be very interesting, especially early on as Spoelstra puts him in different situations to find the best way to utilize him. He could easily play alongside Hassan Whiteside as a stretch four to allow the big man more room to operate in the middle (Olynyk shot 35 percent from 3 last year and 58 percent from the corner) all the while anchoring smaller lineups without giving up any defensive leverage.

One of the main reasons the Heat found themselves attracted to Olynyk is his elite defensive acumen in the pick and roll game, something that hurt Miami last season. Olynyk is in the 99^th percentile defending the ball handler in a pick and roll, forcing a turnover 31 percent of the time and allowing just 0.26 points per possession. For comparison, Draymond Green allows 0.81 points per possession and forces a turnover almost 16 percent of the time.

Olynyk will give the Heat a much steadier presence in the frontcourt while Whiteside continues to mature as a center. He’s not as physically imposing, but Olynyk will allow Spoelstra to throw a variety of looks at opposing big men from the power of Whiteside to the finesse and toughness of Olynyk as well as a wildcard in James Johnson.