Boston Celtics center Kelly Olynyk has an important season ahead of him. The Canadian big man is currently a part of Brad Stevens’ rotation but his name is often mentioned in trade discussions in the media, and it's not clear if they plan to re-sign him if he stays. Olynyk has developed into a solid player with versatile offensive ability but he is yet to truly establish himself as a key part of Boston’s future.

As the Celtics continue to make conclusions on Olynyk, he has to ensure he takes his talent to a higher level. The former Gonzaga man may feel as though this will be easier alongside their newly signed All-Star, Al Horford.

Horford was the second best free-agent available this summer and Olynyk feels that the Celtics have picked up not only a great player, but a great teammate:

“He's just been a great role model for the game of basketball and playing for his country and doing all that. I think he should be a great fit in this city,” Olynyk told MassLive.com. “We have a core group of guys right now and to add Al to that is going to be unbelievable. This year is going to be really exciting to be a part of and I can't wait for it to get started.”

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When asked about just what it is that makes Horford stand out as a player, Olynyk was full of praise for the Dominican center:

“Al's a great player,” Olynyk stated. “He's a team-first guy, works his butt off. He can play inside, outside, in the pick-and-roll, in the seams, makes extra passes, he's really unselfish. Then he flies around on defense and he's long, athletic, makes thing happen. I think he's going to fit right in. And on top of that, he's an unbelievable guy.”

Fans will be hoping that Horford’s presence has a positive influence on Olynyk and that he can make a leap this year, providing a significant contribution to a team that's hoping to contend in the Eastern Conference.