Olek

[speedevil2001]

What is Olek's outlook for this season?

I'm thinking he will get about 4 -6 min a game at the 4 spot.
PPG: 4
RPG: 2
FPG: 2

I really want to see Duke blow some teams out this year, so guys like Olek can get some game time.

Which player does Olek game/career remind you of?

dunking: im thinking of danthay jones.
career: im thinking of something similar to marty pocius.
body type: smaller elton brand

[Welcome2DaSlopes]

I think and hope he would have a David McClure career

[BlueintheFace]

paging dkbaseball...

[Wander]

Pocius is probably the best comparison. At Duke there just look to be too many better players ahead of him to justify regular major minutes, but a legitimate ACC-caliber player who can fill in admirably during odd situations (like Pocius playing the one game when Henderson was suspended, or just unusually high foul trouble).

[Devilsfan]

Marty's injuries set him back imo.

[airowe]

What are Oleks outlook for this season?

dunking: im thinking of danthay jones.
career: im thinking of something similar to marty pocius.
body type: smaller elton brand

dunking: Ced Ceballos (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zrSXW3NscQ)
career: Blue Devil (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgZ__17lHxM)
body type: Wes Welker (http://cache.boston.com/resize/bonzai-fba/Globe_Photo/2008/02/04/1202182266_8077/539w.jpg)

[speedevil2001]

I think and hope he would have a David McClure career

duke will miss McClure this season on the court. hopefully someone will fill in and be the glue guy.
that reminds me: duke lost 5 players from last years team.

[Wheat/"/"/"]

Which player does Olek game/career remind you of?


Orlando Melendez...a poor man's version of "El Gato" (http://tarheelblue.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/melendez_orlando00.html)

"Needs to improve defensively and ballhandling to see more action � Has always been one of the team's most impressive athletes"

...Sorry, couldn't resist. :)

[roywhite]

A bigger, beefier Carmen Wallace?

[speedevil2001]

Pocius is probably the best comparison. At Duke there just look to be too many better players ahead of him to justify regular major minutes, but a legitimate ACC-caliber player who can fill in admirably during odd situations (like Pocius playing the one game when Henderson was suspended, or just unusually high foul trouble).

yeah, i think olek career at duke may resemble marty's without the injuries.

[throatybeard]

Orlando Melendez...a poor man's version of "El Gato" (http://tarheelblue.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/melendez_orlando00.html)

"Needs to improve defensively and ballhandling to see more action � Has always been one of the team's most impressive athletes"

...Sorry, couldn't resist. :)

Brian Bersticker is the greatest center of all time.

Czyz will get little to no time. Sorry.

[Wheat/"/"/"]

Brian Bersticker is the greatest center of all time.


He was to be a 6'11" WF, remember?

I will never live down the expectations I had for Bersticker...I am resigned to that fact.

[JasonEvans]

What are Oleks outlook for this season?


I'm not ordinarily part of the grammar police, but... c'mon people. We can do better than this. Singular versus plural and the possessive are pretty darn basic math.

And the very first post in the thread.... the post that will launch a thread worth of conversation. Sigh.

--Jason "I am gonna fix it -- sue me" Evans

[whereinthehellami]

I don't see Olek getting much PT. Its going to be a tough road for Olek to develop his game and more importantly his basketball IQ. The problem is that he has a much longer/steeper road to travel and while he is developing, all of his teammates are to. i think if Olek can stay positive and really keep his nose to the grindstone then maybe he could see some decent time his senior season.

[MulletMan]

I'm sorry, but did any of you who think Olek will be getting PT this season see him play last season? I'm not talking about seeing a highlight reel on YouTube, but actually see him play with his Duke teammates in a game situation.

Olek was totally lost on both ends of the floor. His had no idea how to switch and looked like a deer in headlights. I'm sure that he is a very nice kid, good student and hard worker, but I find it difficult to see him earning any PT but for very, very late game mop up duty. Marty was miles and miles ahead of where Olek is, and he could barely get PT.

[MChambers]

I'm sorry, but did any of you who think Olek will be getting PT this season see him play last season? I'm not talking about seeing a highlight reel on YouTube, but actually see him play with his Duke teammates in a game situation.

Olek was totally lost on both ends of the floor. His had no idea how to switch and looked like a deer in headlights. I'm sure that he is a very nice kid, good student and hard worker, but I find it difficult to see him earning any PT but for very, very late game mop up duty. Marty was miles and miles ahead of where Olek is, and he could barely get PT.

Have you seen Olek play this fall? Maybe he's made major strides. While I agree with your characterization of his play last year, it was half a year ago, for goodness sakes.

I'm not saying he'll get time, but I'm not ruling it out. Give the kid a chance.

[flyingdutchdevil]

Have you seen Olek play this fall? Maybe he's made major strides. While I agree with your characterization of his play last year, it was half a year ago, for goodness sakes.

I'm not saying he'll get time, but I'm not ruling it out. Give the kid a chance.

I think MulletMan was being pretty objective. And, I hate to do this, but IMO, I completely agree with him. Olek is a huge work in progress. And considering that he is part of our stacked front court, it's going to be really difficult for him to get playing time - even if we are blowing out another team.

Olek is going to have to go through a JJ-sophmore-to-JJ-senior transformation to see consistent playing time. I like Olek - seems like a really nice guy. But at the end of the day, you gotta see that there are a bunch of players in front of him and it's gonna take a helluva transformation to see him on the court.

[Tim1515]

IMO Olek lost any chance of playing time the minute Andre Dawkins decided to skip his senior year in high school. If Singler was forced to play SG we didn't have a ton of options to play SF and he might have snuck in some minutes.

[Azdukefan]

Have you seen Olek play this fall? Maybe he's made major strides. While I agree with your characterization of his play last year, it was half a year ago, for goodness sakes.

I'm not saying he'll get time, but I'm not ruling it out. Give the kid a chance.

I think Mullet said it best. Sometimes there comes a point in your life when you have taken your game as far as it will go (in his case being a good character bench guy seems to be it). I am sure Olek has hopes of playing significant minutes at some point in his career, but I just can't see it happening (barring a mass exodus to the NBA or something unforeseen). My dream was to play at Duke and had I had the opportunity I would have gone at it harder than anyone else that has played in Cameron. The problem was I was not skilled enough to play there (sometimes desire loses to skill). I just hope Olek stays in Durham long enough to earn his degree. Go Duke!

[MChambers]

I think MulletMan was being pretty objective. And, I hate to do this, but IMO, I completely agree with him.

Not quibbling with the objectivity here. I'm certainly not arguing that Olek will play this year. I just don't think you should completely write a player off after one year, for two reasons. First, a lot can happen between seasons. Second, I think it's just unseemly to be so dismissive of a player's chances.

Also keep in mind that Olek is making a big transition from being purely an inside player to more of a forward.

[Wander]

Olek was totally lost on both ends of the floor. His had no idea how to switch and looked like a deer in headlights. I'm sure that he is a very nice kid, good student and hard worker, but I find it difficult to see him earning any PT but for very, very late game mop up duty. Marty was miles and miles ahead of where Olek is, and he could barely get PT.



Sometimes there comes a point in your life when you have taken your game as far as it will go (in his case being a good character bench guy seems to be it).


Olek should not see regular meaningful playing time because there are too many better players at Duke this season (and likely next season). But these posts take it too far. Czyz was, what, a 4 star recruit? He didn't start playing basketball yesterday, and he'd probably play regularly on a bunch of other ACC teams. I think he'd be a serviceable player for Duke for short stretches in bizarre foul/injury/suspended player situations, especially in his junior and senior seasons.

[Azdukefan]

He didn't start playing basketball yesterday, and he'd probably play regularly on a bunch of other ACC teams.

I guess that is the difference. Playing at Duke is at another level than other ACC teams (including the holes)!:D

[ACCBBallFan]

I think Mullet said it best. Sometimes there comes a point in your life when you have taken your game as far as it will go (in his case being a good character bench guy seems to be it). I am sure Olek has hopes of playing significant minutes at some point in his career, but I just can't see it happening (barring a mass exodus to the NBA or something unforeseen). My dream was to play at Duke and had I had the opportunity I would have gone at it harder than anyone else that has played in Cameron. The problem was I was not skilled enough to play there (sometimes desire loses to skill). I just hope Olek stays in Durham long enough to earn his degree. Go Duke!



Not quibbling with the objectivity here. I'm certainly not arguing that Olek will play this year. I just don't think you should completely write a player off after one year, for two reasons. First, a lot can happen between seasons. Second, I think it's just unseemly to be so dismissive of a player's chances.

Also keep in mind that Olek is making a big transition from being purely an inside player to more of a forward.

Also keep in mind that Olek had some surgery and was just getting back into shape when he played for Poland this summer, and less dramatic play in latter NCCU Pro-Am games,

Though he is likely 11th on depth chart at practices with Curry on board, I do think Olek will get what he was looking for at Duke this year, the opportunity to learn in practice from coach K and staff.

How that translates in PT remains to be seen but with the currently more talented Ryan Kelly's PT in dispute, I think Olek does not play a lot this year but continues to improve his knowledge.

He ultimately leverages that knowledge with his athleticism and size to make a good living in Europe in Marty mode.

Best seat in the house, good education well liked, not a bad gig.

[gumbomoop]

Olek should not see regular meaningful playing time because there are too many better players at Duke this season (and likely next season). But these posts take it too far. Czyz was, what, a 4 star recruit? He didn't start playing basketball yesterday, and he'd probably play regularly on a bunch of other ACC teams. I think he'd be a serviceable player for Duke for short stretches in bizarre foul/injury/suspended player situations, especially in his junior and senior seasons.

I believe that OC can develop - in time - to a more than merely serviceable player. But for that to happen, the most plausible scenario is for him to redshirt this year. I recall on a much earlier Olek thread that some seemed to think K had asked him to redshirt last year. Maybe I'm misremembering, or maybe it was nothing more than a rumor.

But I also think I recall others who assert that on principle K doesn't redshirt, save in medical situations.

I guess it's unlikely - either for such principled reasons, or perhaps simply because OC is insurance in event of injury - that this will happen. In which case Wander seems about right that we must all hope for very gradual improvement, and some PT later, not so much this year.

Still, except for the injury/insurance scenario, it seems obvious that it would be in OC's interest, and the team's intermediate interest [next 4 years], for him to redshirt in '09-'10. There's no shame in it, and it surely would benefit him, and the team in future, were he to become rather more than serviceable.

[Ohiobobcat204]

What are everyones thoughts on how much he will contribute this year? I figured hed be behind lance, the plumlees and kelly but honestly kelly really hasnt impressed me much from what ive seen. Anyone think Olek has the skills to be a contributer this season?

[Battery]

It all depends on how he defends during practices. The surest way to get PT under K is to practice hard and defend harder. That's the way it's always been.

[CDu]

What are everyones thoughts on how much he will contribute this year? I figured hed be behind lance, the plumlees and kelly but honestly kelly really hasnt impressed me much from what ive seen. Anyone think Olek has the skills to be a contributer this season?

I think that he'll simply be a "spot minutes" guy as needed. I think the rotation will trim to the starters plus (primarily) Zoubek, Thomas, and Dawkins. Then, I think Kelly will get minutes as necessary at the 4. And depending on the matchups, Czyz or Davidson may see a minute here or there to give our guards/wings a rest or prevent further foul trouble.

Provided that we are fortunate enough to avoid injuries, I think we're going to see a LOT of minutes from Singler, Scheyer, and Smith on the wings. Dawkins will fill in the majority of the backup minutes there, with Thomas filling in the rest. In the frontcourt, I think the Plumlees, Thomas, and Zoubek will take the lion's share of the minutes and Kelly will be the first option after that. I just don't see much meaningful floor time for Czyz unless there is an injury or serious foul trouble.

He has looked better out there this year, but I think he's still too far down the pecking order.

[Battierfan01]

What are everyones thoughts on how much he will contribute this year? I figured hed be behind lance, the plumlees and kelly but honestly kelly really hasnt impressed me much from what ive seen. Anyone think Olek has the skills to be a contributer this season?

Yes I think Olek has the skills to contribute this year. He has a good set of offensive skills and is a very energetic player. I do however think that his biggest challenge will be his defense. It seems to me that he will be a little slower at learning to play Duke defense. I think in time he will become more comfortable with the defense and earn some playing time. I think that Marty had this problem when he came to Duke and he became solid by his last year even with the injuries.

[hengr]

Olek Czyz is almost identical to a player from the 80's, Danny Meagher.
Great athlete, great motor, played hard every second on the floor.
I think Olek has made tremendous strides from last year. Unlike
Martynius, Olek can guard his man. I have watched him all three games
this year (Countdown to Craziness, and the two exhibitions) He still is
not always in the right place defensively in the team concept. I was
very impressed that he was not getting beat on the dribble drive (definitely
unlike Pocius) He is not quite as lost offensively and is in the right place
most of the time. He will be a very serviceable shooter before his career is finished. Pregame he was knocking down most of his threes. He has a really fundamentally sound stroke. I think he can evolve into a player that can
come in to make defensive stops. I think offensively he will have a nice game that the defense will not be able to ignore when he is on the floor. If we get
and keep the talent we expect, he may never be a starter but I think he will
become an important player like Danny was.

[Kedsy]

Olek Czyz is almost identical to a player from the 80's, Danny Meagher.
Great athlete, great motor, played hard every second on the floor.


I don't think Olek is like Danny Meagher at all. First of all, Meagher started 10 games as a freshman and was a team captain as a senior. I remember him as a defensively oriented banger, whose offensive skills were not highly developed, although he certainly improved by leaps and bounds his last couple of years.

To me, other than being a similar size, Olek seems the opposite -- a high-flyer rather than a banger; good offensive potential; more problematic on defense.

[jv001]

I don't think Olek is like Danny Meagher at all. First of all, Meagher started 10 games as a freshman and was a team captain as a senior. I remember him as a defensively oriented banger, whose offensive skills were not highly developed, although he certainly improved by leaps and bounds his last couple of years.

To me, other than being a similar size, Olek seems the opposite -- a high-flyer rather than a banger; good offensive potential; more problematic on defense.

Danny was Wojo at 6'7". Absolutely no backing down in Danny. Probably not as athletic as Olek, but a much better defender. I hope Olek turns out to be the player Danny was. If so he will get minutes by his junior year. Go Duke!

[jimsumner]

Krzyzewski has compared Czyz to Meagher. I agree that Meagher didn't have the athleticism of Czyz. But it is a useful comparison.

As far as Meagher playing as a freshman, that team was the worst in modern Duke history. Meagher's competition for PT was Mike Tissaw, Todd Anderson, Doug McNeely, and Jay Bryan. Put Czyz in a time machine and sent him to 1982 and he'll be on the floor.

Czyz is more skilled than last year and has a better idea of where he should be and what he should be doing when he gets there. Whether that improvement is enough to garner meaningful PT remains to be seen. But I think it's way too early to consign him to a career of mop-up duty.

[mgtr]

Czyz is more skilled than last year and has a better idea of where he should be and what he should be doing when he gets there. Whether that improvement is enough to garner meaningful PT remains to be seen. But I think it's way too early to consign him to a career of mop-up duty.

Most sensible paragraph I have read in quite a while.

[ncexnyc]

It's not very hard to become spoiled by all the wins this program racks up year after year. It's also very easy to believe that every kid who enters the program can make an immediate impact and will challenge for All ACC honors.

However, this is the real world and that just isn't the case. Kids like Lance and Brian have taken a great deal of heat on this board for not living up to some fan's expectations. While it's great to have immediate impact players come to Duke, one of the great things about college basketball is the ability for fans witness the growth of a player over a 4 year span.

I don't know about anyone else, but I certainly have enjoyedwatching some of our teams lessor talented players make gradual improvements throughout the years, only to become key components during their senior years.

While the odds may seem stacked against OC, I do believe hard work and some good luck, as far as avoiding any serious injuries, will let him become a solid contributor to this team come his senior year, if not sooner.

[CEF1959]

I foresee solid contributions this year.

But the big promise is in the following years. If he remains free of injury, I predict him to be big in his Jr. and Sr. years. Remember how DeMarcus bloomed as an upperclassman? In that respect, I agree with ncexnyc's comments, though I'm a bit more optimistic than that.

Olek came to basketball late, is still learning the game, has an intensive offensive game, and is hungry for good coaching. Meaghar as a banger, but with a better offensive game. Maybe like Kenny Dennard or Gene Banks.

I was a little disappointed last year, but I've become a fan based on what I've seen this year.

[Tim1515]

In limited time on the court last year Olek didn't even look explosive. He looked unsure of himself and confused on where to be offensively and defensively.

What we heard a lot about Olek before last year is that he works his tail off. If Czyz can learn the system he might come out of no where and put up good numbers.

He might always get suck behind someone like Marty did...and he might always play out of control in limited time like Marty did. But i don't think it's fair to assume he'll never come around. It is very possible he plays a big role for Duke as a Senior, maybe junior, and maybe at times this year.

[eightyearoldsdude]

With Duke's post depth, I'd be shocked to see Olek get anything but garbage time. Z, Lance, MP1, MP2, and Kelly are going to eat all the meaningful post minutes, IMO.

[Kedsy]

Olek came to basketball late, is still learning the game, has an intensive offensive game, and is hungry for good coaching. Meaghar as a banger, but with a better offensive game. Maybe like Kenny Dennard or Gene Banks.

I think Olek can be a good player in time, but he'll never be Gene Banks. Gene Banks was a star, from the moment he stepped on the court his freshman year. People seem to have forgotten just how good he was.


Krzyzewski has compared Czyz to Meagher. I agree that Meagher didn't have the athleticism of Czyz. But it is a useful comparison.

As far as Meagher playing as a freshman, that team was the worst in modern Duke history. Meagher's competition for PT was Mike Tissaw, Todd Anderson, Doug McNeely, and Jay Bryan. Put Czyz in a time machine and sent him to 1982 and he'll be on the floor.

Czyz is more skilled than last year and has a better idea of where he should be and what he should be doing when he gets there. Whether that improvement is enough to garner meaningful PT remains to be seen. But I think it's way too early to consign him to a career of mop-up duty.

I said Olek and Dan Meagher were very different players. I never consigned Olek to a career of anything. If Olek could ever play defense as well as Meagher, he would be a star.

...but still not as good as Gene Banks.

[jimsumner]

"I never consigned Olek to a career of anything."

Never said that you did.

[MChambers]

With Duke's post depth, I'd be shocked to see Olek get anything but garbage time. Z, Lance, MP1, MP2, and Kelly are going to eat all the meaningful post minutes, IMO.
I've read that Olek is learning to be 3 (not that Duke has positions), so I think the question this year is whether he has improved enough to back up Kyle and Lance at that position.

[BlueTeuf]

I look at this discussion with a perhaps divergent perspective.

I don’t think it’s a credit to the Duke program that Marty P didn’t develop into a greater impact player. In a year or two I may hold a similar observation/opinion concerning OC.

My Take:
OC's development will be influenced (and heavily) by the coaching staff's energy to develop him. I believe his athleticism/intellect/drive are sufficient to yield a quality defender and therefore contributor. If you accept my premise that OC has the raw materials to contribute - then the bigger, and so-far unmentioned, issue is whether or not the coaching staff has a plan to build him into a contributor.

Hesitancy, getting lost, and poor instincts are all attributes that can be improved – hard but doable. If the coaching staff devotes the focus to OC’s development – I smell a terrific asset both defensively and as a rebounding force.

However, effective plans need time for execution - and many areas compete for coaching staff focus. It’s plausible OC’s development falls below numerous priorities. Like winning basketball games.

Of course I have no inside knowledge, perhaps OC was recruited to be a practice player and knew that when he committed. That would influence my thinking significantly.

Anyway – I’m not ready to give the coaching staff a pass on OC’s future. In my book, it’s not all up to Olek.

BlueTeuf

[elvis14]

Olek seems to have a great attitude. My hope for his this year is simply improvement over last year. I agree that he was lost on both ends of the court last year but I'd like to think that Coach K and his staff can help him improve. Like others, I see him getting mop up duty and little else this year. And that's OK, he's a bit of a project. Long term, I'd like to see Olek be a significant contributor in his senior season.

[Greg_Newton]

I've read that Olek is learning to be 3 (not that Duke has positions), so I think the question this year is whether he has improved enough to back up Kyle and Lance at that position.

Yeah, everyone seems to forget this time and time again. There was a great, in-depth posted on here sometime last year about Olek's goals and intentions in coming to Duke. To paraphrase: he could have gone to a Nevada school and gotten big post minutes right away, but he decided it was in his best long-term interests to learn the wing position. And he thought, well, I might as well learn from the best. He's expecting it to be a four-year journey.

I think he'll be a solid weapon by the time he leaves here. Not a starter, but another interesting element in K's arsenel... a Zoubek-ish role, except with a completely different game.

[BD80]

... I don’t think it’s a credit to the Duke program that Marty P didn’t develop into a greater impact player. ...BlueTeuf

He seems to be a impact player in Europe. And had good enough offers to forego a year of eligibility at Duke.

Marty had poor luck with injuries, and played behind G and Jon. I think he and his coaches would tell you he is a far better player now than we he came to Duke.

[Ohiobobcat204]

I've read that Olek is learning to be 3 (not that Duke has positions), so I think the question this year is whether he has improved enough to back up Kyle and Lance at that position.

Perhaps. He showed us he has some real athletisism in that dunk contest. Again, not that those things translate to on court success but it still showed off some skills. He seems to be a real high energy guy, coach K loves those guys who play their butts off(McClure). I agree with most and think that this year he probably isnt going to dominate the minutes. But with Lance and Z graduating, he could be a very valuable assett next season. Lets hope he has a good year of developing his skills for the following season, which will hopefully be one where he is sharing the floor with a particuar frosh. ;)

[hengr]

I played high school basketball, small college basketball, and played baseball for two years in the minor leagues. My son coaches college baseball at the present time. I think I have learned a lot about the relationship coaches have with certain players by how they deal with them. If a coach doesn't figure you in their plans they usually ignore you when you come out of the game. If a coach believes in you and thinks you can develop they are always coaching you. Every time Olek came out of the game against Findlay one of the assistants immediately came to him with a clipboard, got down in from of him and talked to him. That was a very positive sign. They know they have a project but they also value him as a future contributor.

[CDu]

I've read that Olek is learning to be 3 (not that Duke has positions), so I think the question this year is whether he has improved enough to back up Kyle and Lance at that position.

I think that makes sense. But what does backing up Singler and Thomas at the 3 mean, though? I'd have to imagine that Thomas and Singler will log 35+ minutes at the 3 spot this year. That would leave few minutes for Czyz. I think that, this season at least, it's going to be tough going for Czyz to log consistent minutes. That says nothing about his talents, but more about the talent and/or experience in front of him at the 3/4. spots.

Now, if he could extend down to the guard spot...

[juise]

Every time Olek came out of the game against Findlay one of the assistants immediately came to him with a clipboard, got down in from of him and talked to him. That was a very positive sign. They know they have a project but they also value him as a future contributor.


Thanks for sharing your insight. That's a great point and I hope that Olek is encouraged by the staff's attention.

[Tim1515]

Thanks for sharing your insight. That's a great point and I hope that Olek is encouraged by the staff's attention.

Agree...that is great news.

Like Blueteuf said though...it comes down to Olek playing. One thing i've felt Duke has struggled with over the years is playing bench guys early in a game that "might" be tight. Duke plays to win every game which leads to great records but sometimes at the cost for development in guys like Olek.

Basically what i'm hoping...something like Duke vs Maryland. 15 minutes into the game we see Czyz for 4 minutes. Those 4 minutes won't lose the game...but they're incredibly valuable minutes...with other starters (also important) to help him develop confidence in a real game.

[flyingdutchdevil]

I read the article on Czyz that DBR posted on the front page. I could get passed the second paragraph - I was laughing too hard:

"You got Czyzed on!" Those are the words that follow a dunk by the sophomore Duke forward.

That is pretty damn creative: two bodily excretions in one word! I know it's crude, impolite, and somewhat sickening (depending on your sense of humor), but it is incredibly funny. Hat off to the Crazies who came up with that one!

[flyingdutchdevil]

Sorry, had to add the last quote of this article:

And who knows maybe with that improved defense and rebounding prowess he could put himself in a position to "Czyz" on even more people in the future.

[DukieInBrasil]

It´s early yet, but Olek has shown enough burnishing to his raw athletic talent to prove that deserves more serious looks. So far, K has not shied away from OC, far from it, starting him one game and playing 11 or more minutes every game. Even after Nolan returned, effectively reducing available minutes, Olek still played 11 effective minutes. As a bonus, Olek is now officially a 3pt shooter to go along with monster dunker. Adding range and versatility to his game is essential for him to continue getting solid minutes.

[COYS]

It´s early yet, but Olek has shown enough burnishing to his raw athletic talent to prove that deserves more serious looks. So far, K has not shied away from OC, far from it, starting him one game and playing 11 or more minutes every game. Even after Nolan returned, effectively reducing available minutes, Olek still played 11 effective minutes. As a bonus, Olek is now officially a 3pt shooter to go along with monster dunker. Adding range and versatility to his game is essential for him to continue getting solid minutes.

I hope he continues to find a niche. When Mason comes back, he's going to feel even more of the crunch for frontcourt minutes, but it does seem like he's earned the chance to at least battle for a spot in the rotation by getting some game action early in the season. It is impressive to see how much he's developed, already, compared to last year. He clearly has put the necessary work in.