Olynyk: Question for the 'experts'

[Ogaju]

much has been said about Kelly's wing span caused by his regular arm length. I have watched him so I cannot say that his arms are short, they are regular and not extraordinarily long. This obviously makes him a less than stellar shot blocker and maybe rebounder.

The question I have is do his regular length arms make him such a good ball handler and shooter? I think it is a possibility maybe we can get some body mechanics experts to chime in.

He is very well coordinated for a 7 footer.

[Phil125]

I think the value of arm length is a little overrated. He's never going to be Dikembe Mutombo.  That being said I think he can play decent defense given some time with a defensive coach like we have now.  His problem is his feet movement.  And you can teach that.  If they get his defense movement down he can rotate well and that is really what we need from him on defense.  His offense will make up for the rest.

[Alleyoopster]

I think the value of arm length is a little overrated. He's never going to be Dikembe Mutombo.  That being said I think he can play decent defense given some time with a defensive coach like we have now.  His problem is his feet movement.  And you can teach that.  If they get his defense movement down he can rotate well and that is really what we need from him on defense.  His offense will make up for the rest.

 
As for his arm length I agree.  I don't think it will be a major factor in his career.  And, I can't fault him much on lateral quickness.  However, there is one aspect of his game that really ticks me off. And, that is his TOTAL lack of effort on helping out on defense down low (your reference to rotation). Even if he was at the foul line, guarding no one in particular, he would simply stand there and watch his teammate go one-on-one near the basket instead of dropping down to block a shot from behind or try to get into position for a rebound. I saw him do this over and over again in the Summer League.  I wanted to boot him in the .... Anyone else feel the same way???

[Yogi]

His short wingspan has a little more to do with his narrow shoulders than his arm length.  He has a solid standing reach of 9 ft.  His poor shot blocking has more to do with his vertical. 

[clover]

On the other hand, that means he's unlikely to have the Marfan's related health (e.g., heart) issues that some of the really long-armed guys have.

[Celtics18]

much has been said about Kelly's wing span caused by his regular arm length. I have watched him so I cannot say that his arms are short, they are regular and not extraordinarily long. This obviously makes him a less than stellar shot blocker and maybe rebounder.

The question I have is do his regular length arms make him such a good ball handler and shooter? I think it is a possibility maybe we can get some body mechanics experts to chime in.

He is very well coordinated for a 7 footer.

I'm by no means a body mechanics expert, but I think there might be something to the theory that his (relatively speaking)short arms are in part what allow him to be such a good shooter and ball handler for a man his size.

[masteremile123]

His handles are pretty good because he was (like anthony davis) a point guard that had a sudden grow spurt. That's why he can shoot , handle the ball and pass really well for his size . I also think this is the reason he is so crafty around the rim and can finish thru contact.
For his defense , I really don't see what all the fuss is about , if this guy realises his offensive potential than you can mask 1 player's lack of defense and rebounding with the other 4 guys.
If he doesn't fully realise his offensive potential , he will be coming off the bench wich helps in hiding those traits as well.

[Ogaju]

Only Celtic 18 has addressed my question. I get that he was a point wuith a sudden grwoth spurt, but the growth spurt has not affected his handles any, and Anthony Davis is not close to Olynyk in ball handling skills, not even close. Bad comparison.

[hpantazo]

I wonder if shorter wing span is the more important factor, or smaller hand size. I hear more about how big men can't shoot because of their large hands. Does Olynyk have smaller hands than normal for a 7 footer?

The shorter wing span I'm sure helps with ball handling, mainly because the higher the ball has to go to reach the hands, the more room for error, and steals. The hand size imo is more important for shooting though.

[Evantime34]

much has been said about Kelly's wing span caused by his regular arm length. I have watched him so I cannot say that his arms are short, they are regular and not extraordinarily long. This obviously makes him a less than stellar shot blocker and maybe rebounder.

The question I have is do his regular length arms make him such a good ball handler and shooter? I think it is a possibility maybe we can get some body mechanics experts to chime in.

He is very well coordinated for a 7 footer.

I don't think his arm size makes him a better ball handler or shooter. However, I do have a theory that having smaller hands can lead to more nimble fingers which can positively contribute to ball handling and a deft touch. So if having shorter arms means his hands are smaller the argument could be made through several leaps of logic that his shorter arms make him a better shooter/ball handler.

[LilRip]

much has been said about Kelly's wing span caused by his regular arm length. I have watched him so I cannot say that his arms are short, they are regular and not extraordinarily long. This obviously makes him a less than stellar shot blocker and maybe rebounder.

The question I have is do his regular length arms make him such a good ball handler and shooter? I think it is a possibility maybe we can get some body mechanics experts to chime in.

He is very well coordinated for a 7 footer.

I don't think his arm size makes him a better ball handler or shooter. However, I do have a theory that having smaller hands can lead to more nimble fingers which can positively contribute to ball handling and a deft touch. So if having shorter arms means his hands are smaller the argument could be made through several leaps of logic that his shorter arms make him a better shooter/ball handler.

i disagree. i think his shooting and coordination have nothing to do with his hands/arms. Yao Ming shot free throws particularly well and he was 7'6". Dirk Nowitzki (i don't know his wingspan but i assume it's at least as wide as his height) also comes to mind. Even bench players like Troy Murphy shot the ball well. So imo, some players are just better coordinated or have better mechanics than others. Maybe it's something you develop at a young age? i don't know. but i don't think "hand size" has anything to do with it.

[hwangjini_1]

On Olynyk's wingspan, it is more complex than just measurements since standing reach is perhaps more important in this case.

Ainge sees Olynyk playing power forward in the NBA. If that becomes the case Olynyk will have a slight size advantage over many other power forwards.
 
Specifically, he is 3 inches taller than the average power forward. Olynyk = 7'; average NBA PF = 6'9". His oft lamented alligator arms therefore become less problematic. But what about those itty bitty arms of his?

Olynyk wingspan = 6' 9.75"; average pf = 6' 7". Oly's wingspan is 2.75" inches longer than the average PF.

Standing reach? Olynyk = 9'; average NBA PF = 8' 10.5". Again, our Oly wins the day.
 
None of this will completely make up for his inability to defy gravity in an impressive manner, but it may allow him to rebound better than some expect.

BUT WHAT IF DANNY MAKES HIM A CENTER?!?!? 

Olynyk's advantage is far less against centers, but he still isn't short. His standing reach is the same as Plumee's; is 2" longer than Zeller's; and is 2" shorter than Noel's.
 
Looked at in a larger context, of the 215 centers measured in workouts over the past few decades, the average measurements were:
 
Average height w/o shoes
6' 9.48" (Oly is a towering 6' 10.75")
 
Average weight
247 (Oly is a relatively sleek 234)
 
Average Wingspan
7' 2.7" (Oly = 6' 9.75", here is where Oly comes up short.)
 
Average standing Reach
9' 1.3" (Oly = 9')
 
Compared to the mythic "average center" Olynyk does indeed have a shorter reach, yet at the same time he is a over an inch taller.
 
Olynyk's wingspan is relatively short since his shoulders are narrow. But his standing reach is clearly all right against centers and better than most pfs.

The narrow shoulders also mean Olynyk will probably NOT be able to add a whole lot of muscle. He is not Perk. So he may not be able to bulk up and battle under the basket well in the NBA.

(Caveat: the measures above were from pre-draft data that covered 2 decades, but is a decade old. Best I could find. My links are:

http://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2013/5/19/4343934/nba-draft-2013-official-combine-measurements-results-comparisons-bigs

http://www.draftexpress.com/nba-pre-draft-measurements/?page=avepos&year=All

EDIT: redid links.
 

[LooseCannon]

For his defense , I really don't see what all the fuss is about , if this guy realises his offensive potential than you can mask 1 player's lack of defense and rebounding with the other 4 guys.

Some modern defenses are team concepts often described as being only as good as their weakest link.  The Doc/Thibs defense is one.  Brad Stevens has been described as having complex defensive schemes.

In the first half of last season, the Celtics defense seemed to be struggling precisely because (at least) one player making a mistake kept causing breakdowns in team defense.  It got better as the season progressed.  It really got better when Bradley got back, so maybe Lee and Terry were problems.

Olynyk doesn't have to be a great man defender, but he at least needs to be capable of learning where he should be on the floor and mobile enough to get there.  There are reasons to think he can accomplish that.

[Ogaju]

On Olynyk's wingspan, it is more complex than just measurements since standing reach is perhaps more important in this case.

Ainge sees Olynyk playing power forward in the NBA. If that becomes the case Olynyk will have a slight size advantage over many other power forwards.
 
Specifically, he is 3 inches taller than the average power forward. Olynyk = 7'; average NBA PF = 6'9". His oft lamented alligator arms therefore become less problematic. But what about those itty bitty arms of his?

Olynyk wingspan = 6' 9.75"; avgerage pf = 6' 7". Oly's wingspan is 2.75" inches longer than the average PF.

Standing reach? Olynyk = 9'; average NBA PF = 8' 10.5". Again, our Oly wins the day.
 
None of this will completely make up for his inability to defy gravity in an impressive manner, but it may allow him to rebound better than some expect.

BUT WHAT IF DANNY MAKES HIM A CENTER?!?!? 

Olynyk's advantage is far less against centers, but he still isn't short. His standing reach is the same as Plumee's; is 2" longer than Zeller's; and is 2" shorter than Noel's.
 
Looked at in a larger context, of the 215 centers measured in workouts over the past few decades, the average measurements were:
 
Average height w/o shoes
6' 9.48" (Oly is a towering 6' 10.75")
 
Average weight
247 (Oly is a relatively sleek 234)
 
Average Wingspan
7' 2.7" (Oly = 6' 9.75", here is where Oly comes up short.)
 
Average standing Reach
9' 1.3" (Oly = 9')
 
Compared to the mythic "average center" Olynyk does indeed have a shorter reach, yet at the same time he is a over an inch taller.
 
Olynyk's wingspan is relatively short since his shoulders are narrow. But his standing reach is clearly all right against centers and better than most pfs.

The narrow shoulders also mean Olynyk will probably NOT be able to add a whole lot of muscle. He is not Perk. So he may not be able to bulk up and battle under the basket well in the NBA.

(Caveat: the measures above were from pre-draft data that covered 2 decades, but is a decade old. Best I could find. My links are:

http://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2013/5/19/4343934/nba-draft-2013-official-combine-measurements-results-comparisons-bigs

http://www.draftexpress.com/nba-pre-draft-measurements/?page=avepos&year=All

EDIT: redid links.

TP thanks for the insightful post. Stats like this can also help Olynyk use his body style to best use. For instance since his wing span deficiency is related to narrow shoulder he will do better when playing big to play close up so he does not have to rely much on stretching out to block but just going straight up to block. Interesting stuff.

[Evantime34]

much has been said about Kelly's wing span caused by his regular arm length. I have watched him so I cannot say that his arms are short, they are regular and not extraordinarily long. This obviously makes him a less than stellar shot blocker and maybe rebounder.

The question I have is do his regular length arms make him such a good ball handler and shooter? I think it is a possibility maybe we can get some body mechanics experts to chime in.

He is very well coordinated for a 7 footer.

I don't think his arm size makes him a better ball handler or shooter. However, I do have a theory that having smaller hands can lead to more nimble fingers which can positively contribute to ball handling and a deft touch. So if having shorter arms means his hands are smaller the argument could be made through several leaps of logic that his shorter arms make him a better shooter/ball handler.

i disagree. i think his shooting and coordination have nothing to do with his hands/arms. Yao Ming shot free throws particularly well and he was 7'6". Dirk Nowitzki (i don't know his wingspan but i assume it's at least as wide as his height) also comes to mind. Even bench players like Troy Murphy shot the ball well. So imo, some players are just better coordinated or have better mechanics than others. Maybe it's something you develop at a young age? i don't know. but i don't think "hand size" has anything to do with it.

Those guys are exceptions to the rule though, in general I think it's safe to say that larger people on average are less coordinated than smaller people.