Miami Heat: The dynamic ascension of Kelly Olynyk

As his role has progressed over the course of the season, the Miami Heat are beginning to realize the true value of Kelly Olynyk.

After signing with the Miami Heat on a four-year, $50 million deal over the offseason, Kelly Olynyk underwent somewhat of a transition phase in his new surroundings.

Having played his first four seasons under the tutelage of Brad Stevens and the Boston Celtics, Olynyk commenced his debut season with the Heat trying to find his way among his new teammates. Not only did the presence of incumbent center Hassan Whiteside present a challenge, but there was also the introduction of the Heat’s latest first round draft pick, Bam Adebayo.

In addition to Whiteside and Adebayo, there was the versatile Justise Winslow capable of switching through the frontcourt, not to mention James Johnson and his array of skills at both ends of the floor. So it probably came as no surprise that in the early stages of the season, head coach Erik Spoelstra was still coming to terms with how best to fit Olynyk in the rotation, especially considering the unique skill-set he has to offer.

Despite standing 7’0″, Olynyk is essentially a guard in a big man’s body. Entering this season, Olynyk averaged just 8.2 rebounds per 36 minutes in his four seasons with the Celtics, and has notched 8.6 per 36 minutes this season with the Heat. Furthermore, his block rate this season on a per-36 minute basis is identical to his time as a Celtic at 0.8.

So while Olynyk is no athletic behemoth who is going to dominate the boards and intimidate down low, his strengths have become more and more evident as the season has progressed — in particular, Olynyk’s role at the offensive end of the floor.

Touches

Leading into the Heat’s latest contest, a 98-79 demolition of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Olynyk had ranked sixth over the course of the season in touches at 50.7 per game. Breaking that down further, the Canadian native has ranked fourth on the team in frontcourt touches at 30.3 per game. However, the evolution of his role in the offense this season has seen this under-the-radar but telling statistic go through the roof.

It’s Nov. 28, and the Heat are receiving a trouncing at the hands of the aforementioned Cavaliers. For the game, Olynyk was to play just 11 minutes as the Heat would trail by as many as 34 points in the third term. Tellingly, Olynyk ranked 10th on the team for the game in frontcourt touches, a season low and unfamiliar territory for Olynyk, who the year prior, ranked sixth on the Celtics in frontcourt touches despite averaging just 20.5 minutes per game.

When you fast forward the clock and watch the manner in which Olynyk completely decimated the Cavaliers in his latest impressive showing, the contrast could not be more evident. The following clips from this performance demonstrate the vast array of options Olynyk provides the Heat on a nightly basis:

While this demonstrates his scoring abilities, the following assist is just an example of the unique skill-set Olynyk can provide from the center spot:

Additionally, here’s a larger sample size, when Olynyk recently dished out a career-high 10 assists against the New York Knicks:

Recent hot streak

The use of Olynyk has gradually increased since the Heat’s Nov. 28 disaster against the Cavaliers. In particular, the past 13 games have shown a significant upswing in both Olynyk’s role and production levels.

During this span, Olynyk has posted14.5 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.4 steals in 26.2 minutes per game. With Hassan Whiteside being sidelined for the past nine games with a hip injury, Olynyk’s opportunities, and a consistent level of playing time, naturally have taken off.

The pinnacle of the utilization of Olynyk came during the Heat’s epic 149-141 double overtime win over the Denver Nuggets. For the game, Olynyk registered 30 points, eight rebounds, six assists and a career-high four blocks while playing a season-high 41 minutes.

Specifically, there were two notable measures that stood out. First, Olynyk was a +18 while on the floor. Over the past 13 games since March 3, Olynyk ranks fourth in the entire league by registering a +155 during this time.

Second, there was the subject of touches per game. Prior to the March 3 matchup with the Detroit Pistons, Olynyk ranked sixth overall on the Heat with 48.5 touches and fifth with 28.5 frontcourt touches per game. The Nuggets game saw Olynyk with a season-high 92 touches, including 61 in the frontcourt. Signficantly, these 61 frontcourt touches were a whopping 20 more than the closest teammate, point guard Goran Dragic (41).

Most importantly, the past 13 games have seen Olynyk rank second in overall touches with 60.2 per game, jumping all the way to first with 38.2 frontcourt touches per game. Following the latest Cavaliers game, the Heat are now 8-2 on the season when Olynyk leads the team in frontcourt touches. Considering that over the course of the season Olynyk has had 14 games in which he has ranked seventh or lower on the team in touches, this is clearly a significant sign of immense progress.

Recently, head coach Erik Speolstra explained Olynyk’s importance to the Heat:

"“He adds so many dimensions to your offense because of his skill level and his shooting ability and his creativity. So it makes your shooters more open. It makes your attackers have better driving lanes and a lot of things that the defense has to negotiate through when he’s on the court. And he’s playing at a high level.”"

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At present, the timetable for Whiteside’s return to the court remains uncertain. However, considering the Heat have been 30.5 points per 100 possessions better off when Olynyk has been on the court over the past 13 games, the Heat will remain content in the meantime with him steering the ship in the middle.