WALTHAM, Mass. — The final month of last season was a coming-out party of sorts for Kelly Olynyk.
The Boston Celtics center, who played limited minutes and put up modest numbers throughout most of his rookie campaign, broke out in April. He scored in double-figures in seven of the Celtics’ final eight games, including totals of 25, 28 and 24 points over the final three.
For the 7-footer, it was the perfect way to wrap up his first year in the pros.
“First of all, I was feeling good,” Olynyk said before Wednesday’s second session of training camp practice. “I had a bunch of nagging (injuries) during the middle of that season that kind of held me back a little bit. So, when your body’s feeling good, your confidence is high and you’re getting on the floor, you’re getting that opportunity, you have the opportunity to do some stuff. I just tried to capitalize on that.”
Those impressive offensive performances came in meaningless games, however, for a team that had long given hope of a playoff berth. Olynyk will look to prove he can offer that type of output on a more consistent basis now that he has one year of NBA experience under his belt.
“Now that you’ve been through it once, you know what’s coming down the pike,” the former Gonzaga star said. “You’ve just got to be ready for it. The expectations are there, but that’s something you want as a player.
It sounds like he’ll get his chance. Celtics coach Brad Stevens said Wednesday that he hopes to make Olynyk a more prominent part of his new, faster-paced offense this season.
“I think our best bet is to make him a big part of what we’re doing,” Stevens said. “And I think the reason (for) that is because he’s a skilled, savvy basketball player who can play a number of positions and can stretch the floor for you.”
Expect to see Olynyk’s role adjusted depending on the personnel he’s playing with and against this season. Olynyk is capable of posting up down low, Stevens said, but won’t do so often against some of the league’s bigger, more physical centers.
“If he’s playing against 5s, he might be able to face those guys up, drive it off the lane and make a play, but he’s probably not backing any of them down,” said Stevens, who acquired Olynyk in a draft-night trade with the Dallas Mavericks last June. “Against 4s, in certain circumstances, sure (he’ll post up). The more that you can take advantage of those opportunities, the better. But I see him as more of a guy that can handle pass-and-shoot and create mismatches that way.”
Olynyk didn’t wow anyone earlier this summer in his second spin through the Orlando summer league despite having strong workouts (“I don’t know why that is the case,” Stevens said), but he has earned strong reviews through the first two days of training camp. The 23-year-old said he’ll wait until after camp to make any specific season goals, but he knows what’s on every player’s mind this time of year.
“Everyone in their mind wants to start,” Olynyk said. “Everyone wants to contribute as much as they can. So, you know, set the expectations high.”
