How Kelly Olynyk will help Hassan Whiteside, and vice versa
By Ivan Mora
The Miami Heat’s newest big man Kelly Olynyk will provide head coach Erik Spoelstra with some effective options in the front court.
Kelly Olynyk has yet to make his Miami Heat debut but there is already excitement for this unique floor spacer by those who know what he brings to the table. He should make an immediate impact as a stretch big.
Olynyk, who was signed by Miami to a four-year contract this summer, has shown flashes as a strong big man who can definitely hold his own in the post while being a more than capable floor spacer with undervalued passing skills. Though he’ll more than likely come off the bench at center, he could also create an intriguing frontcourt combo with Hassan Whiteside that the Heat should explore.
Over the last few seasons, Whiteside has emerged as a dominant franchise big man who is being molded into the new Heat leader. The struggle was finding the other pieces to fix Miami’s frontcourt puzzle. James Johnson’s rejuvenated play last season was the first solution to that problem. The team also drafted Bam Adebayo with the 14th pick in this year’s draft. Now the Heat have options.
With the addition of Olynyk, the question that still lingers is what exactly will his role be and how can he co-exist with Whiteside and Miami’s other bigs? We know his attributes and skill set, but will that be better utilized as a starting stretch-4, shifting James Johnson to a different role, or as the first center option off the bench?
Neither. Or, really, both. With a projected starting lineup of Dragic, Waiters, Winslow/Richardson, Johnson, and Whiteside, Olynyk will come off the bench and help stretch the floor for the second unit, but should see plenty of run with other starters. Miami will need a versatile big man with experience defending the pick and roll to really excel.
With the NBA now being played as a positionless game, the combo of Olynyk and Whiteside can work great defensively as well as offensively. One of Olynyk’s key talents is his ability to read the floor well before making a cut or assist. A perfect example of this was his impressive 26 point Game 7 versus the Washington Wizards.
Olynyk ranks in the top 10 in AST% among ranked forwards in the East. Pair this with an excellent post man in Whiteside that can secure down low and you get a frontcourt designed to battle this new age small ball.
It also benefits Olynyk as a player. Whiteside can attract a double team and dish out to Olynyk, a decent 35 percent 3-point shooter, on the wings. He’ll also be a valuable pick-and-roll/pop partner for Miami’s breadth of guards and ball handlers.
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To say it’s a match made in heaven with Olynyk in our lineup is of course far fetched, but it is a nice pairing considering Miami’s options. Besides, Olynyk has that tough gritty attitude that the Heat need moving forward.
All that’s left is a couple of games under his belt to really flourish with his new team.