Healthy Olynyk a shot in arm for C’s

NEW ORLEANS — Before taking a shot to his right shoulder from the Clippers’ DeAndre Jordan last February — a far-reaching injury that ultimately required offseason surgery — Kelly Olynyk probably was playing the best basketball of his career.

His jumper was falling at a high rate and, more vitally, he wasn’t hesitating to take it. Now, three games into his return, the Celtics forward seems to be honing in on his pre-injury form.

He followed up a 19-point performance Friday night against the Knicks, in which he was 3-for-6 from 3-point range, with 16 points and a 2-for-6 effort from beyond the arc Saturday night in a win at Indianapolis.

His return might have required lots of time and patience on the part of the team, but Olynyk now says he wanted to make sure he was ready to make a major contribution. To wit, he’s been an emergency starter the past two games as the Celtics wait for Al Horford to return from a concussion.

Based on his past two performances, in which there’s been a minimum of rust in his game, Olynyk says he’s glad to have taken that extra time to get right.

“Definitely. I wanted to come back and help the team . . . be in a position to help the team,” he said. “I didn’t want to be in and out, hesitant. I wanted to come back and be all guns blazing. That’s what it was.”

The key was building up shoulder strength. Even before Olynyk was cleared for contact roughly three weeks ago, the challenge was waiting for the shoulder to respond from exertion, even the strain that comes from taking multiple shots in practice.

That process required what Olynyk now terms “a long time.”

“Basically up until a couple of weeks ago, I could start shooting after four months, but the next month and a half all I could do was shoot 15 or 20 shots and my arm would be dead,” he said. “It was just building up that strength and stamina. And then you want to keep going and going. Factor in that you’re running around, playing defense and stuff, you get tired out.”

Olynyk also benefitted from the timing of his rehabilitation. Training camp was the perfect opportunity to take his time.

“Most of the time, guys who come back don’t play as much, either,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said. “It’s a matter of getting your feet under you and playing. He did play for a week or two before he came back, and that was good. That’s an ideal scenario. You can’t do that in the middle of the season when you’re playing multiple games.”

The proof now is in the resiliency of Olynyk’s shoulder. With a minimum of soreness, he doesn’t hesitate once the ball comes his way out at the 3-point line.

“Feels great right now,” he said. “Just stay aggressive and keep looking for it.”

Praise for Young

It’s hard to tell who was happier for James Young following his 12-point, 5-for-6 performance against the Pacers — the forward or his teammates.

“I’m so happy for James Young,” Avery Bradley said. “He comes in every day and works hard. Sometimes he gets (into games) and sometimes he doesn’t. He’s just really being a professional. Every opportunity he gets, he’s making the most of.”

Young has talked of simply doing his job, as opposed to thinking too much about how to react, and Bradley credits that, too, to the hard work.

“That all comes from the work he puts in, coming in every day and believing in his game,” Bradley said. “He knows what he can do and what he can’t. Play his game without thinking.”

Said Olynyk: “Unbelievable. A great kid, he really deserves it. He’s put in the work the last couple of years, and it hasn’t been easy for him. He’s got a lot of negative attention drawn toward him . . . but he’s shown he really belongs here. For him to be up and down with Maine the last couple of years really shows his persistence. We’re all really happy for him. Without him, we don’t win (Saturday night).”

Head game

The Celtics play the Pelicans tonight, and Horford’s status will be based on whether the big man, Stevens and the medical staff determine he is ready to return from his concussion.

“The only way he came on this trip was if there was a chance that he would play,” Stevens said. “I don’t know if it’s likely or unlikely, but we’ll see how he feels.”