Can Kelly Olynyk and Jared Sullinger Work Together?

[jonathanlambert33]

One of the less-discussed subplots of the final 15 games of this season is whether Kelly Olynyk and Jared Sullinger can be long-term teammates.

When one digs in and considers the matter, its hard to imagine how a front-court with Olynyk and Sullinger could work. Sully is undersized and slow, although one hopes a healthy offseason might allow him to lose some weight and gain some athleticism. Olynyk is a healthy size for a power forward/center, but his length and athleticism are both very much in question, as well as his strength (more on this early next week).

Defensively, this seems problematic, even though both players have shown flashes on the defensive end. Sullinger can body most bigs out of the lane and, of course, hes a fantastic rebounder. Olynyk, meanwhile, has gotten better and better at moving his feet and drawing charges or cutting off drives.

But both players have obvious flaws as well. Olynyk desperately needs to add muscle. Sullinger struggles any time hes forced to hedge hard on a pick-and-roll. ICE PnR coverage works well for Sully, but even then quicker guards can turn the corner on him once theyve passed the screen.

So how could these two players both power forwards, both flawed defensively ever share a front-court long term? Lets briefly hand the mic to MassLives Jay King:

http://www.celticshub.com/2014/03/24/case-keeping-olynyk-sullinger/

 

[bosoxlover12]

Imo Olynyk is a great bench piece, but we should never be counting on Sully&Olynyk starting together if we get competitive