Sharpshooting big man Kelly Olynyk has shown flashes of excellence since the Boston Celtics acquired him from the Dallas Mavericks on draft day in 2013. Last season Olynyk made the jump from average to great three-point shooter — his percentage rose from 34.9% to 40.5%. However, Olynyk certainly has holes in his game. He isn’t the best defender, and on offense he tends to hesitate too often, which leads to him missing opportunities to score. Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe reports that the Celtics are unlikely to extend the Gonzaga alum’s contract:
Forward/center Kelly Olynyk is eligible to sign a long-term deal before the Oct. 30 deadline but the Celtics are likely to wait until next summer to determine whether to invest in him long term. This is a critical season for Olynyk, who is coming off shoulder surgery. He will be depended on to be the floor-stretching sharpshooter the Celtics have desired the past three years. Olynyk has missed 43 games over his first three seasons, primarily because of injuries. The Celtics want more toughness and consistency from their former first-round pick
The Celtics want to see what Olynyk can do this season. If Olynyk can avoid injuries and stay on the floor, and maintain a high level of confidence and intelligent play, Boston will re-sign him in 2017 as quickly as possible. Olynyk has shown that he has the tools to be a legitimately good rotation player in today’s NBA, he just has to put the pieces together and be consistent.
