Still a ‘big’ experiment
Versatile centers Wood, Olynyk trying to find comfort level playing together
The idea should work, at least offensively.
With the Rockets, anything that should work is worth a shot. So far, however, pairing centers Christian Wood and Kelly Olynyk has not.
The cameo appearances of the centers together have been far too brief to draw conclusions. But as with so much about the Rockets’ season, filled with mixand-match lineups and experiments all with little or no practice time, the pairing of players that should fit somehow has been simultaneously both rocky and promising.
“Kelly’s so versatile and Christian’s so versatile, to have those guys out there together makes sense to me,” Rockets coach Stephen Silas said. “I don’t know that using these last however many games we have left to see how it works is the thing I’m trying to (do). Have them play well now so we can win.
“I just see it right now as two versatile guys who are big and can put pressure on the defense. They also help our rebounding on the defensive end.”
That versatility should make the mix work.
Both have the shooting range to provide spacing for the other in the lane with Olynyk making 37.5 percent of his 3-pointer with the Rockets, Wood 37.3 percent. That combined with Olynyk’s passing — he has averaged 3.5 assists in his four games — could allow the team to go from last season’s plan to play without a center to this season’s experiment with playing two at a time.
So far, however, the spacing has been poor and the offense sluggish when they have played together.
The Rockets have only begun to experiment with the combination in the two games Wood and Olynyk have both been available. They have played just 22 minutes together. It has not gone well, with the Rockets making 31.4 percent of their shots and just 2 of 16 3-pointers in that small sample of playing time.
The team was outscored at a rate of 38 points per 100 possessions in those stretches, making it difficult to extend their minutes together in the games in Brooklyn and Boston. But there is also a sense that there is potential to explore if they can work together rather than taking turns.
“It’s still kind of hard to see how they can play off each other,” Silas said. “It seems like one’s playing (and) the other’s not, then one’s playing and the other’s not. I just want to make it easy on both guys. We will continue to have those guys out there, continue to let those guys play together and figure out ways they can both put so much pressure on the defense, how they can make each other better. I’m definitely in the mix when it comes to how that happens.”
If nothing else, the combination should help shore up the Rockets’ often shoddy defensive rebounding. But it has to work better offensively to merit longer stretches, especially with Olynyk already playing the 16 minutes or so at center when Wood sits.
“I’m trying to figure out how to play with Kelly on the floor at the same time,” Wood said. “It’s just the spacing. I had a drive-andkick to him (Friday.) I got to my right hand, which is what I wanted to make the defense help. He was right there in the corner for the 3. It’s just figuring out spots on the floor, where we should be on the floor at the same time.”
On that play in Boston on Friday, Jayson Tatum helped off Olynyk on a Wood drive. On another possession, Olynyk found Wood posting up Evan Fournier, setting up Wood for a dunk. Olynyk later passed on a drive to K.J. Martin, with Martin finishing with a slam.
But those plays were samples of what could be available for Wood and Olynyk while playing together but usually have not been so far.
“A little disjointed at times,” Silas said. “They’re both used to being in the action. For one to be in the action and the other to be spotted up or outside of the action is a little different for both. It’ll take a little getting used to for both guys. We went over some actions that they both can kind of be involved in. That’s something, as we move forward, if I want to play both guys we’re going to have to do. On the offensive end, it can get better and it will get better. “Figuring out while the other guy is in the action, I’m a spacer as opposed to a post-up guy. Or when there is an action that doesn’t involve either guy that our space doesn’t get collapsed by one guy being in between. Maintaining our five-out spacing with those guys will happen over time. But I liked having both on the floor together. They both can make plays. They both can shoot. And we’re bigger and can rebound better.”
Defensively, the Rockets played zone with both on the floor in Brooklyn, an option that could help match up Sunday with the New Orleans Pelicans’ twofisted combination of Zion Williamson and Steven Adams if Williamson, who is listed as questionable with a sprained right thumb, plays.
The Rockets, who rank 28th in defensive rebounding percentage, could look for more playing time with Olynyk and Wood together in a matchup with the top offensive rebounding team in the NBA.
Still, the combination is so far at best a work in progress.
“Still trying to feel everything out, what’s the best look for our team,” Olynyk said. “Just playing off (Wood), we want to put him in situations he can be successful and help our team. For me, whether that’s spacing or being in the actions, making plays for him or spacing, whatever it is, we’ll kind of feel that out as we play more together.
“Still trying to feel everything out, how we can be successful with that lineup. I think it will be a good one for us.”