Where Aron Baynes is Exactly What the Celtics Need

2 posters

Go down

Where Aron Baynes is Exactly What the Celtics Need Empty Where Aron Baynes is Exactly What the Celtics Need

Post by 112288 Tue Jul 11, 2017 10:36 pm


Your Morning Dump… Where Aron Baynes is Exactly What the Celtics Need

Posted by Neil Sharma

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here… highlighting the big story line. Because there’s nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

As first reported by The Vertical’s Shams Charania, Aron Baynes agreed to a one-year, $4.3 million contract with the Celtics.

With only the room mid-level exception to offer, the Celtics weren’t going to to lure an All-Star talent in the middle. But in Baynes, they found a solid big man to rebound, throw his body around and soak up minutes. The additional frontcourt depth is critical. Boston will likely unleash a lot of small lineups, but needed a bigger, reliable dude. At 6-foot-10, 260 pounds, Baynes fits the bill.

He should immediately walk into Boston as the team’s best rebounder. According to Basketball-Reference.com, Kelly Olynyk led the Celtics with a 13.1-percent rebound rate last season. Baynes checked in at 15.6 percent — and that was actually his lowest mark since his rookie season. He’ll grab a lot of boards.

Quite simply, this was the perfect signing for Danny Ainge. Aron Baynes is a hyper-physical player who crashes the glass, hits mid-range jumpers, has touch around the rim, and holds his own in the post.

Some background on Baynes: he was born in New Zealand but grew up in Australia. The 30 year-old is entering his sixth season after playing three years with San Antonio (winning a championship in 2014) and two with Detroit. He averaged just over 15 minutes per game for the past three seasons and never missed significant time due to injury.

Baynes is an outstanding free throw shooter (81 percent for his career) and a capable mid-range shooter (hit 52 percent of shots from 10-16 feet last season). Last season, he rebounded 21 percent of available defensive rebounds and 10 percent of available offensive rebounds — both above-average marks for a center. He joins a Celtics team desperate for rebounding help.

He emerged on the scene during the 2013 playoffs when the Spurs swept the Lakers in the first round. In game four, he started in place of Tiago Splitter, and limited Dwight Howard — considered the NBA’s best center at the time — to seven points over three quarters. Howard was eventually ejected from the game, and was never again seen in a Laker uniform. His physical post-defense bothered Howard throughout that game and series.

Baynes signed a three year deal with Detroit after winning a ring with the Spurs. He was expected to be the primary back up to Andre Drummond, but Detroit would later sign Boban Marjanovic and Jon Leuer, while drafting Henry Ellenson, creating a crowded big-man rotation in the motor city.

He turned down a $6.5 million player option to sign a one year $4.3 million deal with Boston. It’s rare for a fringe rotation player to turn down that type of bread, but it makes more sense when considering the situation of his agent, Marc Fleisher. According to RealGM.com, Baynes is the only active player who Fleisher represents. They saw an opportunity in Boston for more playing time, and thought they could make up the $2.2 million loss during next summer’s free agency, given Baynes has a bigger role in Boston.

In a strange subplot, Josh Horford — brother of Al — was not a fan of the signing:

It’s weird how Al Horford is so soft-spoken and never loses his cool with the media, but his family — between Anna and Josh — doesn’t hold back. I don’t see this being an issue, and I’d imagine Al Horford would love playing with a physical rebounder with championship experience.

112288
112288
112288

Posts : 7855
Join date : 2009-10-16

Back to top Go down

Where Aron Baynes is Exactly What the Celtics Need Empty Re: Where Aron Baynes is Exactly What the Celtics Need

Post by gyso Wed Jul 12, 2017 8:02 am

Link to see Josh Horford's comments:

http://thesportsdaily.com/reds-army/your-morning-dump-where-aron-baynes-is-exactly-what-the-celtics-need/

Where Aron Baynes is Exactly What the Celtics Need Screen27

Lastly, here’s a video of Tim Duncan carrying a drunken Aron Baynes (young and beardless) onto the Spurs team bus (starts at around 45 seconds):


_________________
Where Aron Baynes is Exactly What the Celtics Need Logo_f11
gyso
gyso

Posts : 21872
Join date : 2009-10-13

Back to top Go down

Back to top

- Similar topics

 
Permissions in this forum:
You cannot reply to topics in this forum