Poll: Sully vs Olynyk Starting?

[Rhyso]

To me it would seem that only one of these two can start, as neither offer the rim protection required to be a Center. So who would you like to see starting at PF on day 1? Who has the better style of play and long term potential from what you have seen?

To me i think Olynyk will have a better offensive game, but needs a solid Center to grab rebounds and cover up his defense. Sully we have seen can rebound, play defense and get his hands dirty, but his height may cause him trouble from being a go-to player down on the block.

Also yes, jumping the gun here on Olynyk, but im just curious to see the first thought comparisons.

[LatterDayCelticsfan]

Brandon Bass! There I said it. He`s th incumbent. Having said that if there`s a real urgent need to get some scoring going Olynyk`s the man to bring on, otherwise whenhe is healthy Sully ought to be the first big off the bench.

[ScottHow]

I think the goal is to get Wiggins so I'm not worried about rim protection. I'd start Sully at the 4 and Olynyk at the 5. This way we develop both and get closer to Wiggins.

[Roy H.]

We don't have a big man on our roster capable of rim protection.  If defense is the goal, I guess Sully + Bass is probably the best option.  That's still pretty weak, though. 

I'd start KO at center and Sully at PF.  There will be lots of growing pains, but that's the stage we're in.

[eugen]

Olynyk? Hold on man. He just plaued 3 games of SL and does not mean at all he deserves to be a starter. He has to prove the skills during regular season

[BudweiserCeltic]

Although it makes me sick to my stomach, out of all our roster, the player better served to play center is Humphries to start.

The question as to who starts at PF between Sully, Wallace, and Olynyk. A side of me says Wallace, the other Sully... I'm leaning towards Sully as I like Wallace as our first SF off the bench.

[LatterDayCelticsfan]

Or alteranitvely a  guy with loads of experience and solid defence like Bass , or Wallace can start at 4 with Oynyk at the 5.

[paidthecost2betheboss]

I think the goal is to get Wiggins so I'm not worried about rim protection. I'd start Sully at the 4 and Olynyk at the 5. This way we develop both and get closer to Wiggins.

I dunno if it's the 1st part or the 2nd part of that sentence that scares me more? Probably the 1st though I bolded the 2nd.

Thankfully the side effect of High Bball IQ's (Sully Olynyk,Rondo) and burning fires of rage towards failure (Rondo for sure and I'd assume the other 2 to a lesser degree..maybe) would preclude such a Goal/Plan ...a huge goal of a plan as being an option. It could be the result of accumulated failures but getting Wiggins as a Goal...by it's definition sounds ridiculous.

[CFAN38]

I expect Bass to be traded and KO and Sully to start this year. They will compliment each other well on offence and struggle on D.

Moving forward the Cs will need to find a defensive Center to add to the KO and Sully mix. With both players being 4/5s adding a real center would give them a solid 3 man rotation where each guy play 30+ minutes

[Roy H.]

... getting Wiggins as a Goal...by it's definition sounds ridiculous.

I understand where you're coming from, but in the past this organization has made getting Duncan its goal, and then getting Oden/Durant its goal.

[Chris]

We don't have a big man on our roster capable of rim protection.  If defense is the goal, I guess Sully + Bass is probably the best option.  That's still pretty weak, though. 

I'd start KO at center and Sully at PF.  There will be lots of growing pains, but that's the stage we're in.

I actually have an optimistic outlook of a KO/Sully frontcourt defensively.

Yes, there will be no rim protection, but I think rim protection can be a bit overrated at times.  If you want an elite defense, sure, you need it, but you can still have a decent defense without it.

The biggest worry I would have with that combination would be having either of those guys chasing quicker guys on the perimeter.  That would be an issue, but you can always put Wallace, Green, or Bass at PF when you face matchups like that. 

But, I actually like both Sully and Kelly's potential as pick and roll defenders.  When it comes to defending the pick and roll, footspeed isn't nearly as important as intelligence.  It is all about position and angles.  By the time Sully got hurt last year, he was the best pick and roll defensive big man other than KG on the team...and by a decent margin IMO (granted, he didn't have a ton of competition), and I think Kelly has the same potential. 

If they can really be precise about their positioning, and make smart decisions reading plays, then they both could be very good pick and roll defenders, which would go a long way.  And then when you have ball-hawks like Rondo, Bradley, and Wallace around causing havoc, you can really get by pretty decently without having that interior presence defensively against most teams (and in the regular season...it would be a very different story in the playoffs).

[JSD]

We don't have a big man on our roster capable of rim protection.  If defense is the goal, I guess Sully + Bass is probably the best option.  That's still pretty weak, though. 

I'd start KO at center and Sully at PF.  There will be lots of growing pains, but that's the stage we're in.

I agree. "D" isn't the goal right now, development is.

[Snakehead]

We don't have a big man on our roster capable of rim protection.  If defense is the goal, I guess Sully + Bass is probably the best option.  That's still pretty weak, though. 

I'd start KO at center and Sully at PF.  There will be lots of growing pains, but that's the stage we're in.

This is how I feel.

The defense is going to be bad anyways.  We know this.  Olynyk's shooting could open up the floor more than it has been before for Rondo and make things interesting at least.  And I really believe Sully and Olynyk will be a dynamic combo.

[PhoSita]

I agree with Roy.  I think they're probably the best two man grouping we've got in terms of big men right now.  I'd start both of them.  Doesn't really matter which position each of them plays.

Kelly has the size to play center but his game is more like a PF; the opposite is true of Sully.

[Chris]

... getting Wiggins as a Goal...by it's definition sounds ridiculous.

I understand where you're coming from, but in the past this organization has made getting Duncan its goal, and then getting Oden/Durant its goal.

Well, I don't think we can count the Duncan tanking as relevant, because it was a completely different management at that time.  And the Oden/Durant goal didn't fully arise until Pierce got hurt midseason.

But yes, that goal needs to at least be considered.

I think they are just going with the goal of building, and developing assets though.  I think it will just as important to them to develop value with the guys already on the roster, as it is to get a couple extra lottery balls.