Does KO have mentality to succeed?

[oldutican]

We've been watching him for 3 seasons, and it sure seems that KO lacks the mentality to be any more than a spot player. When he gets the ball, he is still hesitant and even fearful. Have you ever seen a guy who pump fakes and passes as much as he does? You add those issues to the fact he is also physically slow. Maybe he needs a sports shrink. Maybe he can succeed as a bench player spot up shooter on a team that can really spread the floor, like the Cavs. But he isn't helping the Celts move up to the next level.

[PhoSita]

Strictly complementary.

[mctyson]

he is still a weak link defensively and until that changes...

[Greyman]

To cover his weaknesses he needs to do the things he does well very consistently. He isn't doing that recently.

[ManUp]

He's that Luis Scola level role player they said he'd be.

[KeepRondo]

The problem with Olynyk is that he could be good enough to allow a player like himself to shoot his way out of a slump or slow start. But way too many times he shuts himself down and gets timid after missing a few shots. He even seems to have carry over effects from one game to another.

This could all just be a growing experience for KO and he might end up being a great player but right now, he's got a lot of confidence issues to work through.

[tazzmaniac]

The problem with Olynyk is that he could be good enough to allow a player like himself to shoot his way out of a slump or slow start. But way too many times he shuts himself down and gets timid after missing a few shots. He even seems to have carry over effects from one game to another.

This could all just be a growing experience for KO and he might end up being a great player but right now, he's got a lot of confidence issues to work through.

KO will never be a great player.  He's not even a starting caliber player at this point.  His upside is limited and he'll be 25 before this season is over.   

[Who]

Olynyk needs to work more on his midrange game and post game. Too reliant on perimeter scoring / driving. He needs to be able to get shots closer to the basket to get himself going when those perimeter shots are not falling.

Disappointed at how Stevens has been developing both Olynyk and Sullinger. I don't think Stevens is making the most out of either player's offensive skill-sets.

[BudweiserCeltic]

Olynyk needs to work more on his midrange game and post game. Too reliant on perimeter scoring / driving. He needs to be able to get shots closer to the basket to get himself going when those perimeter shots are not falling.

Disappointed at how Stevens has been developing both Olynyk and Sullinger. I don't think Stevens is making the most out of either player's offensive skill-sets.

A lot of truth in that. And by midrange I'm guessing not simply spotting up to shoot from the midrange, but to operate from there. His ball-faking tendency, and ball handling would work very well from that range,  I agree with that.

I'm not sure if perimeter shots not falling are a problem though, he makes them period. He might have an off game, but for the most part he simply makes them. His biggest problem is passing up on them, which is leading to a lot of mistakes (travelling, poor shots, bad passes). It was good when he did it occasionally, but now it's becoming the norm.

Dump the ball to him in the elbow Pierce style.

[The Oracle]

  When you have a coach who is constantly screwing with his minutes, changing his usage and who he is playing with, sometimes running plays for him and sometimes not along with many other things it will screw with anyone.  For whatever reason Brad is continuously placing him in spots where he is much less likely to be successful.  People constantly harp on his inconsistency when a lot of it is on Brad Stevens and the Celtics agenda that is creating it. 

  Later in the week I may make a thread going into more detail what is going on but here is an example of what has been happening.  Everyone saw the 4 or 5 really solid games he had recently ending in the 28 point game against G.S..  In the 4 games since Brad stevens has been taking the ball out of his hands by moving him off the ball and spotting him up on the wing or in the corner much more often.  He has brought David Lee out and is facilitating much of the offense through him.  There have been very few plays ran for him and very few touches in spots where he can do much with them.  For example in the game against Detroit he had a grand total of 10 touches in the front court and did not handle the ball in the front court once for the 1st 9 offensive possessions he was on the court.  Every possession was orchestrated by Brad stevens from the sideline.  What he is trying to accomplish is anyone's guess but he is certainly doing K.O. no favors.  In the last 3 games combined K.O. has 49 total front court touches well below season average.  In the G.S game he had 49 by itself.

[littleteapot]

  When you have a coach who is constantly screwing with his minutes, changing his usage and who he is playing with, sometimes running plays for him and sometimes not along with many other things it will screw with anyone.  For whatever reason Brad is continuously placing him in spots where he is much less likely to be successful.  People constantly harp on his inconsistency when a lot of it is on Brad Stevens and the Celtics agenda that is creating it.

Tough crap this is the NBA. If you aren't one of the most talented players, you have to show your ability with inconsistent minutes and role before you get a consistent role. If the coach doesn't think he has a good matchup with Olynyk, he's got a lot of other options to choose from - is he just supposed to trot out his guys and not actually coach the team?

[Khelsier]

The problem with Olynyk is that he could be good enough to allow a player like himself to shoot his way out of a slump or slow start. But way too many times he shuts himself down and gets timid after missing a few shots. He even seems to have carry over effects from one game to another.

Over the last 10 games his FGM-FGA is:

3-5 L
0-2 L
2-7 L
4-13 W
11-21 L
5-11 W
8-13 W
3-6 L
9-12 W
1-4 W

That high fluctuation in FGA is a major problem. When he is taking 10 or more shots his FG% is actually pretty good. He has to take/they have to force him to take about 8-13 shots each game. I agree he defers too much, often to worse shooters. They have to tell him to take about 10 shots each game no matter what. That would do wonders for him.

The other guys (that play at least 20 min.) FGA´s are distributed much more even over the course of the season. Kelly always has these "today I shoot too" games where he takes 10 or more shots and the "I dont want to shoot at all" days where he takes 4-6 shots. More often than not we loose the 4-6 shot games (7W - 10L when he is under 10 FGA). We have lost two games this year where he shoots 10 times or more (7W - 2L), Golden State and Toronto. He simply needs to shoot more.

[Big333223]

I'd like to see Olynyk get to the line a lot more. He's averaging only 2.5 FTA per 36 minutes. That's not enough. He's a talented shooter and handles the ball well for a guy his size but on those nights when his shot isn't falling it's like there's nothing he can do about it. I always remember when Paul Pierce didn't have it, he'd get to the rim and get his rhythm at the FT line.

Olynyk will never be Pierce but he needs to learn how to look for contact and finish through. That can help get him in the game in other ways and potentially help him get his rhythm back on nights when he doesn't have it. But that speaks to the question of his mentality that the OP does.

[littleteapot]

I'd like to see Olynyk get to the line a lot more. He's averaging only 2.5 FTA per 36 minutes. That's not enough. He's a talented shooter and handles the ball well for a guy his size but on those nights when his shot isn't falling it's like there's nothing he can do about it. I always remember when Paul Pierce didn't have it, he'd get to the rim and get his rhythm at the FT line.

He's getting good shots from 3 and he is a good 3 pt shooter. When his shot isn't falling he needs to keep taking it. That's the mentality I want him to have. Paul Pierce is a completely different sort of player - I don't want any stretch bigs deviating from doing that unless the defense is going all out to run them off the line.

[Big333223]

I'd like to see Olynyk get to the line a lot more. He's averaging only 2.5 FTA per 36 minutes. That's not enough. He's a talented shooter and handles the ball well for a guy his size but on those nights when his shot isn't falling it's like there's nothing he can do about it. I always remember when Paul Pierce didn't have it, he'd get to the rim and get his rhythm at the FT line.

He's getting good shots from 3 and he is a good 3 pt shooter. When his shot isn't falling he needs to keep taking it. That's the mentality I want him to have. Paul Pierce is a completely different sort of player - I don't want any stretch bigs deviating from doing that unless the defense is going all out to run them off the line.

And when someone is running him off the line, he has to ability to get to the rim. Too often when this happens I see him trying to get around defenders instead of take the contact and get to the line which, I think, would be beneficial.