Good thing the Boston Celtics were able to poach Al Horford from the Atlanta Hawks, because Kelly Olynyk’s shoulder still isn’t right.
A healthy Olynyk, to be sure, wouldn’t have prevented the Celtics from going full tilt after Horford. The latter is a superstar, the former an injury-prone(ish) prospect with a developing skill set.
Nevertheless, Olynyk was, statistically, one of Boston’s best two-way players when on the floor last season, according to Basketball-Reference. He will never be the passer or defender that Horford is, but the two have similar functions, in that they can both space the floor and protect the rim (Horford is, not surprisingly, also the better paint-policer).
Pairing them together, in fact, should make for one of the East’s most dynamic frontcourts. Only, Boston will have to wait before doing so, since Olynyk isn’t yet ready to rock, per Jay King of MassLive.com:
Danny Ainge just said Kelly Olynyk's tests show he's not quite ready to return. So, not considered a big deal he hasn't seen doctor yet.
— Jay King (@ByJayKing) October 17, 2016
Olynyk has missed at least 12 games in each of his first three seasons and hasn’t ever averaged even 25 minutes per contest. This is an understatedly big deal for him, as he’ll be a restricted free agent at the end of this year. The Celtics could always sign him to an extension, hoping to capitalize on a discount due to his lack of opportunity and availability, but that’s beyond unlikely. The investment itself could prove to be too much of a risk, and Boston won’t want to jeopardize cap room ahead of next summer’s free-agency extravaganza.
In the meantime, the Celtics will wait for that all-too-glorious time when they can experiment with Horford and Olynyk playing side by side, forging an outside-in frontcourt fit to terrorize defenses everywhere.
