hen the Detroit Pistons swapped out Mason Plumlee for Kelly Olynyk this offseason, they made a conscious decision to create more space for their young ball handlers. And if Olynyk’s time in Detroit mirrors his 27 games in Houston, it could be a consequential decision for the development of Cade Cunningham and Killian Hayes.
In Houston, Olynyk enjoyed perhaps the best stretch of his eight-year professional career. His efficiency was through the roof on more usage than he normally sees, and he added what would have been a career-high assist rate.
Olynyk did all of that in an offense designed around ball and player movement while spacing the floor.