Heat’s Kelly Olynyk impressing in Disney practices and scrimmages. What’s working for Olynyk?
There may not be a player on the Miami Heat’s roster that is a better representation of the team’s impressive depth than center Kelly Olynyk.
The 29-year-old started a career-high 36 games while averaging 22.9 minutes of playing time last season, but he has taken on a different role in his third season with the Heat. At times, that new role has kept him on the fringe of Miami’s rotation with six DNP-CDs (did not play, coach’s decision) in a span of 13 games in January and early February.
With the season just days away from resuming after it was suspended on March 11 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Olynyk is still not exactly sure where he stands in the Heat’s rotation.
“Roles are always ever-changing, basically,” Olynyk said, with the Heat off from practice Sunday following Saturday’s scrimmage loss to the Utah Jazz. “Not only with us, but for the whole league. For me, I’m just trying to come into this restart and help us win a championship. Build toward that, whatever that is. Obviously right now, I think my role is being in a lot of action off the bench and hopefully contributing in a positive manner.”
One thing is becoming clear, though, as Olynyk continues to impress in the Heat’s practices and scrimmages at the NBA’s Disney campus. It’s going to be hard to leave Olynyk out of the rotation when Miami begins its eight-game seeding schedule Saturday against the Denver Nuggets.
The Heat will return to the practice court Monday before closing its three-game scrimmage schedule with an exhibition game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday at 2 p.m (Fox Sports Sun).
“We’ve had a lot of guys stand out during camp. He has had one of the better camps,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of Olynyk, who is averaging 7.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists and a career-low 18.5 minutes in 59 games (six starts) this season. “He’s in tremendous shape right now. He really worked at it in May and June.”
That has become evident through the Heat’s first two scrimmages. Olynyk finishing Wednesday’s first exhibition with 12 points, six rebounds and four assists, and exploded for a game-high 27 points to go with eight rebounds and two assists in Saturday’s exhibition.
Olynyk’s standout stat line came with the Heat’s All-Star duo of Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler held out of Saturday’s scrimmage.
“Kelly played amazing today,” rookie guard Tyler Herro said following the Heat’s exhibition against the Jazz. “He has been tremendous throughout training camp here, in Orlando. We all know, as teammates, what KO can do. We’re grateful to have him on our team. He’s 7-foot and can space the floor, and also can play inside. He’s great in the pick-and-roll. He can do everything.”
After an up-and-down start to the season, what changed for Olynyk when he arrived at Disney? He’s healthy now, as a bone bruise on his right knee that he sustained playing for Team Canada in August forced him to miss training camp and slowed him down early in the season.
Olynyk, 29, began to feel like himself again around the time the All-Star break came around. He averaged 8.2 points while shooting 60 percent from the field and 66.7 percent (20 of 30) on threes in 14.1 minutes over 11 games coming out of the All-Star break before the season was suspended.
“It’s definitely night and day,” Olynyk said when asked how his body feels compared to earlier in the season. “Obviously, I didn’t step on the court for a second in the first training camp. I basically missed all of training camp, missed all of preseason and played in like five minutes of preseason and then tried to play to start the season.
“So my body through the quarantine, it has gotten to rest. I’m feeling like I’m in great shape. My body feels the best it has almost ever felt in the NBA. It’s very rare that you get a four-month break to rest and work on yourself and your body. It has been great for me.”
But there’s still no guarantee that Olynyk will play consistent minutes when the season resumes. The Heat is expected to have all 17 of its players available when seeding games begin, and Olynyk stands potentially as the 11th man if he plays behind Adebayo, Butler, Jae Crowder, Goran Dragic, Herro, Andre Iguodala, Derrick Jones Jr., Meyers Leonard, Kendrick Nunn and Duncan Robinson.
In addition, Leonard is back from an ankle injury that forced him to miss 16 consecutive games prior to the league shutdown. Leonard has started at center in each of the 49 games he has played this season.
Whatever happens, Olynyk is just hoping to continue trending in the right direction with his play. He has a $12.2 million player option with the Heat for next season.
“After the All-Star break, I started playing really well and shooting the ball well,” Olynyk said. “Just getting more in the groove and in the flow. Then obviously the season got suspended. But I just kept that momentum going and just kept working on my body, making sure I stayed in shape and making sure I kept my skills up.”
This story was originally published July 26, 2020 at 9:45 AM.
