"Like a Bird on a Wire..."

By JB

Like a bird on the wire,
Like a drunk in a midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free.

"Joe Cocker sings Bird on a Wire, written by Leonard Cohen. Piano accompaniment by Leon Russell, with Chris Stainton on organ. From Mad Dogs and Englishmen, "all elements of the truth." Recorded live at the Fillmore East in New York City, March 1970."


A lot of folks in the business of watching basketball games, as well as casual fans, have accepted the cliche that Kelly Olynyk is "soft."
I reject this notion.

Just because he is a free spirit and has long hair doesn't make him unwilling to fight for victory for his team. Remember when he got elbowed in the eye, which was swollen shut and he couldn't see out of it and played the next game, like nothing happened?

From Boston.com:
"Olynyk scored a team-high 19 points, helping carry the Celtics to a crucial 100-87 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night, all while looking like a boxer that just 
went 12 rounds in a prize fight."

Sure he doesn't have rebounding numbers like some other 7'ers, but he spends much of his time at the three point line (as one of the premier shooters in the league), or at the top of the key to initiate offense with his more than clever (he was a high school point guard) passes.
 While his defensive numbers are also among the league's elite and best on the Celtics, many folks still insist on pointing to his "Olé" defense. My contention is that he is such a foul magnet.... "hey the big white guy just checked in, we can fill our foul quotas.".... he has to try to defend while showing space between himself and the offensive player, like kids at a teen dance at a parochial school back in the 50's.

In the NBA, you get 6 fouls in a game.... no big deal, but in hockey, you have to sit in a "penalty box" for two minutes; embarrassed and forlorn and watch all the others skate by. 

To really understand how Olynyk approaches the game of basketball, we have to look back to his Canadian culture and the effect of Hockey, the national religion (please forgive my sarcasm). 
Hockey is a game of love, born on the rivers and ponds, played under the snow covered pines, on a natural surface of ice. The purpose of the game is to play... to skate... to feel the freedom of gliding from those long strides on the glassy surface. If it were up to the players, I believe they would not even keep score. This is something for the fans who pay the money to support the game.
Goals are not scored very often and almost never

by great one on one moves, except in open ice, because of the layers of defense. In the scoring zone, goals come from clever passes to players moving without the puck to the open areas. Does that sound familiar? Is that not Olynyk's game to a "T?"
Another comparison to hockey is Kelly's leading the team (by a long margin, using the per 36 minute reference) in the +/- statistic, relatively new to basketball, but the purest hockey stat. of all.
As for being soft,  Hockey players actually do fight, not just growl, grimace and pose. Thereby, they take violence seriously. Most players will not provoke a fight, but if you try to push them around.....well, just ask Kevin Love, who almost had his arm ripped out it's socket, whether Olynyk is soft!

There is another Celtic, who always has a smile on his face. Is it coincidental that he also comes from a culture where pucks on ice are a lot more prominent than rubber on asphalt?
I am intrigued by Jonas Jerebko. I see a 6'8" athletic marvel who has yet to find his game. From what I have observed; he can defend adequately three positions, pass on the move, drive to the basket with force and control, is a good rebounder and may be one of the best shooters on the team, an asset much to be desired in Coach Steven's preferred offensive sets.

Jerebko is just settling in to the rotation and getting more minutes, as his game is developing.

From BostonGlobe.com:    "Over those first 37 games, Jerebko averaged 12.9 minutes and shot just 35.8 percent from the field and 39.4 percent on 3-pointers while averaging 3.1 points.Over the last 12 games, he is averaging 16.9 minutes, shooting 50 percent overall and a blistering 52.2 percent on 3-pointers"

Just like his pal Kelly, whose joie de vivre, he shares, I hear a lot of criticism, questioning of his place on the roster and rotation, while wunderkind, Jordan Mickey, languishes in relative obscurity, "down Maine," in the "D" league..
My best prognotication is that he will become a valued asset, depending on how fast he sheds his hockey mentality and learns just what his basketball strengths are.
I love his hustle and enthusiasm and think he has all the skills.



I suppose for all of the reasons detailed above, regarding Olynyk, Jerebko has also been labelled soft. Well, I'd be careful about that monicker.
Swedes are known to be easy going and gentle by nature, but they are also as tough as old boot leather, when riled or defending their turf. As I see it; Jonas is "farm strong," afraid of nothing and more than willing to mix it up as the situation arises.

For me, the game doesn't even start until Olynyk comes off the bench; I love his creativity and "élan" and the team usually kicks it up a notch when he and Smart and Turner enter the game.

Will Jerebco continue to improve and thereby have his playing time increased? I hope so, as these "blush brothers" as I call them, have got into my heart and as intriguing as Jordan Mickey is, he's still very young and getting experience in an area where he can excel is probably much better for his ultimate development, than sitting on the bench getting scrap minutes in blowouts.

Individual Player +/- Statistics

	Player	Team	+/-	+/- Per Game	+/- Per 36 Min

31	Kelly Olynyk	BOS	189	3.9	6.8
34	Isaiah Thomas	BOS	185	3.8	4.2
36	Jae Crowder	BOS	174	3.6	4
40	Avery Bradley	BOS	168	3.8	4.2
46	Jared Sullinger	BOS	132	2.8	4.2
59	Amir Johnson	BOS	100	2.2	3.3
61	Marcus Smart	BOS	97	3.5	4.6
75	Evan Turner	BOS	69	1.4	1.9
127	Jonas Jerebko	BOS	25	0.5	1.4
211	Terry Rozier	BOS	-8	-0.4	-2.7
250	Tyler Zeller	BOS	-22	-0.7	-2.9
264	James Young	BOS	-28	-1.4	-6.3
278	R.J. Hunter	BOS	-31	-1.3	-4.5
294	David Lee	BOS	-40	-1.3	-3.1

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