Aron Baynes: Boston Celtics players have motivating 'bitter taste' after last year's defeat

https://www.masslive.com/celtics/index.ssf/2018/09/aron_baynes_boston_celtics_pla.html





Aron Baynes: Boston Celtics players have motivating 'bitter taste' after last year's defeat




Updated Sep 15, 7:13 PM; Posted Sep 15, 7:09 PM




By Tom Westerholm




HUDSON -- On Friday afternoon, Boston Celtics center Aron Baynes stood at center court, cheating on his jumping jacks.

The Celtics had put together a community event in Hudson, unveiling a new Celtics-themed court at the Boys and Girls Club with Baynes and former Celtics forward Leon Powe. In teaching the kids in attendance to warm up properly, Baynes only did 20 or so of the 40 requisite jumping jacks, but he led the kids in another exercise ("Who likes PUSH-UPS?") and seemed to thoroughly enjoy himself in the process.

"I have a lot of fun doing these things," Baynes said. "Probably the biggest smile is on me when I'm out there getting to interact, knowing that it makes a little bit of a difference. ... I jump at the opportunity every time."

Before and after re-signing with the Celtics on a one-year, $4.1 million deal this summer, Baynes was a staple at community events around Boston. He spent much of the offseason in the city -- he and his wife bought a house in Newton, near the team's new practice facility, and his days start early. Celtics rookie Robert Williams, who got an apartment near the facility as well, said last week he would show up for workouts at 8:00 a.m. only to see Baynes and Al Horford finishing their routines.


"I've got a three-year-old and an eight-week-old, I'm up whenever," Baynes said, laughing. "I don't think one day really ends before the next one begins."

But Baynes, now in his sixth year as an NBA player, knows what it takes to be a pro. He said he has been working on his conditioning (his 3-point shot continues to be an area of improvement, although he maintains that it isn't a focus, since "I know that's not where my bread's buttered").

If Williams wants to look to a professional to learn how his NBA career can be long and productive, he could a lot worse than Baynes. Baynes, however, isn't worried about the 20-year-old.

"To be honest, (Williams) got a great work ethic, and that's what I do," Baynes said. "I try to go out there and lead by example. He's really been keying on what he needs to do, and he's not focused on grinding out stupid amounts of time on the court, he's about getting his body right as well, which is one of the things everyone's talked about holding him back over the summertime. But right now he's doing everything he needs to do to be successful."

The rest of the Celtics don't need the motivation of a veteran. The returning players have last year's failure in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals nipping at their heels, or (in the case of Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward and Daniel Theis) the disappointment of a season-ending injury.


"I think it's one of those things that everybody's still (got a) pretty bitter taste in everyone's mouth," Baynes said. "We all know what we want to do. Everybody was pretty locked in over the course of the summer when everybody stopped in. Nobody's really taken a back step. Everybody's in great shape. That's gonna propel us into a good preseason, and hopefully that translates into a great season as well."

As a busy summer winds down, Baynes is happy last year's Celtics are more or less intact.

"We're just happy everybody is coming back. We're getting back up and down, and we're getting to play with each other again," Baynes said. "It was fun last year, and it's going to be more fun this time."




bob



.

Kind of hard to not like this Baynes guy either on or off the court.