Olynyk working to again become fixture in Heat rotation: ‘You just got to stay ready.’
Kelly Olynyk has a smile on his face after most games because the Heat keeps winning. But this is not the way the Heat big man envisioned his season going.
It began with a bone bruise on Olynyk’s right knee that he sustained playing for Team Canada in August. The injury forced him to miss training camp and the Heat’s first three preseason games, and he’s still feeling lingering effect from the injury.
After missing time in the preseason, Olynyk never worked his way into the Heat’s starting lineup as many expected after the Bam Adebayo-Olynyk tandem posted a plus/minus of plus-114 last season. Instead, newcomer Meyers Leonard has started every game next to Adebayo as the Heat’s frontcourt this season.
Then after some up-and-down play, Olynyk recently found himself completely out of the Heat’s rotation with four consecutive DNP-CDs (did not play, coach’s decision). But Olynyk has kept working behind the scenes through it all, and has played in three consecutive games.
“Things change with the Heat all the time,” said Olynyk, who is averaging 7.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 19.4 minutes this season. “You’re in and out of the rotation, stuff switches every day. You might not play this game, you might play 28 minutes tomorrow. You just got to stay ready, keep getting your work in, stay mentally stable and when you get your opportunity, just make the most of it.”
That’s exactly what Olynyk did in Friday’s win over the Thunder, when he scored 12 points on a perfect 5-of-5 shooting and grabbed seven rebounds and dished out two assists in 18 minutes. It marked the most minutes he has played in a game since Dec. 20 and the most points he has scored in a game since Dec. 14.
“You see it so often in this league, things change and rotations are always fluid,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said in advance of Sunday’s game against the Spurs. “Then when guys get their chance, they’re not ready. KO was ready. Even when we’ve made moves to go a different way with the rotation, it’s not an indictment on necessarily any one guy. That’s just what happens in this league, whether they’re the right decisions or not. But you have to keep yourself ready. He has really been working behind the scenes and staying up to date with everything and every huddle, knowing what we’re doing.”
But there’s no guarantee Olynyk, 28, will get consistent minutes moving forward. Olynyk’s recent two-game stint leading up to Sunday’s contest in San Antonio came with rookie guard Tyler Herro unavailable because of a left knee bruise.
Herro returned to action for Sunday’s loss to the Spurs, and Olynyk remained in the Heat’s rotation. But Olynyk played just seven minutes in San Antonio, with all of them coming in the first half.
“It’s never easy. Everybody wants to play,” Olynyk said. “Everybody is competitive. Everybody wants to be part of it. You’re still part of it. But you want to contribute, you want to be in a flow and in a rhythm and be enjoying it. Winning definitely helps. It’s easier when you’re winning. If you’re losing and you’re sitting on the bench and getting DNPs, you’re kind of just miserable all around. Obviously, you got to try to make the best out of every situation and see the light and the silver lining.”
Olynyk is in the third season of a four-year, $50 million free agent deal he signed with the Heat in the summer of 2017. He holds a $13.2 million player option for 2020-21 (the final season of his contract).
What Olynyk does with that option will be decided this upcoming offseason. For now, he’s just trying to remain healthy and work his way back into the Heat’s rotation.
“It has been a little bit of an ongoing thing,” Olynyk said of the right knee he injured in the offseason. “Definitely not to the level I want it to be, especially starting the season and coming through the days where I felt really good and the other days that I haven’t.”
Where have Olynyk’s knee issues impacted him the most? “Movement, push off, speed.”
“I think it’s just kind of trusting your body and feeling like you can do things and have confidence in your movements,” he said. “... Then obviously little nagging things just kind of keep tugging at you, keep tugging at you. But it’s part of the game, it’s part of being a professional athlete. You’re going to have that.”
This story was originally published January 19, 2020 at 11:10 AM.
