Canadians in NBA: Andrew Nicholson Strong Performance in Loss to Houston
In our continuing coverage of NBA Canadians, North Pole Hoops tracked the progression of young Canucks making their mark in the pre-season on Wednesday Oct. 16. And It was a good day for the three Canadians who took to the court.
Kelly Olynyk
The 2013 13th overall pick made his first appearance at the Air Canada Centre as the Boston Celtics made a pre-season appearance in Toronto. The Raptors came out victorious to the tune of a 99-97 scoreline, which included a crazy ending- a missed dunk followed by a last-second missed three pointer. Kelly Olynyk called the game “special” as he played on the court, and against a team he grew up watching.
Olynyk fouled out in the Raptors win, but not before making his mark. He scored 13 points (on 6-for-7 shooting) and grabbed nine rebounds-which led all players- in 26 minutes of action.
Olynyk found himself playing a key position for Boston, with so many familiar Celtic faces now wearing different jerseys. Teammate Jeff Green had some kind words for Olynyk following the game, speaking highly of the Canadian big man.
While staying out of foul trouble will be a goal for Olynyk moving forward, he did spend much of this time on the court focusing on positioning and defensive rotations. His defensive highlight was a charge he took off Julyan Stone with seconds to go in the third quarter. This was Olynyk’s second straight game fouling out.
Andrew Nicholson & Kris Joseph
Andrew Nicholson, who will be heading into his second year with the Magic, played a starring role in the 108-104 loss to the Houston Rockets.
Nicholson played 27 minutes- more than any Magic player. He finished with 15 points on 6-8 shooting which included 3-4 from beyond the arc. Nicholson also grabbed nine boards, blocked one shot while only turning the ball over once. More importantly, the Mississauga, Ont. native did not commit a foul during the game, a facet of the game that has troubled him of late.
Meanwhile, Kris Joseph contributed in limited minutes. Joseph put up six points and three rebounds in 12 minutes. He also dished out one assist for good measure.
Looking ahead
NPH will take a look at how Tristan Thompson, Anthony Bennett and Cory Joseph fare as each take to the court in their respective games on Thursday, Oct. 17.
