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NBA: Ranking the league’s best third options

By Hans Themistode

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 15: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Nikola Vucevic #9 of the Chicago Bulls in action against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on May 15, 2021 in New York City. The Nets defeated the Bulls 105-91.NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 15: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Nikola Vucevic #9 of the Chicago Bulls in action against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on May 15, 2021 in New York City. The Nets defeated the Bulls 105-91.NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /
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Kelly Olynyk
Kelly Olynyk (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images) /

NBA: Ranking the league’s best third options: 18. Kelly Olynyk, Detroit Pistons

The Pistons have a ton of players that fooled the NBA public over the past few years.

Remember how ballyhooed ballers such as Josh Jackson, Trey Lyles, and Frank Jackson were? All of those players have proven to be inconsequential to a team’s overall success. Also, any squad that has any of them as their third-best scorer must be in full tank mode.

For the Detroit Pistons, they have a bunch of decent if not flat-out underachieving players. Only Jerami Grant has proven to be a fringe star in the league and he’s clearly their best option on offense, which isn’t saying much.

Cade Cunningham, the 2021 number one overall pick slots nicely into the second spot, averaging a shade over 12 points per game. Checking in right behind him as their third-best scorer in our opinion, is Kelly Olynyk.

He has a bit of a weird game. Nothing he does looks captivating or dominant but Olynyk is a proven scorer. At one point for the Houston Rockets last season, Olynyk averaged 19 points per game.

He won’t wow anyone with his overall skill set, but Olynyk is solid everywhere on the court. If the stretch big man is your third-best player on offense, chances are your squad will be sporting a terrible record. That is exactly the case for the Pistons. But, he’s still a solid player to have in that slot overall.