The Boston Celtics could have a tougher time transitioning after the Aron Baynes Injury
The Boston Celtics had a phenomenal showing in their second preseason meeting against the Philadelphia 76ers, but it may have done more damage than good in the long run. Aron Baynes left the game early with a knee injury that has since been identified as a hyperextension, and they are still unsure of when he may return (Via CBSSports).
Fortunately, this does not appear to be too serious. The Celtics will surely take their time in bringing him back, but he is expected to return in the not too distant future, at least for now.
The problem is that the Celtics may actually need Baynes more at the beginning of the season than later on. Marcus Morris still has no in game reps with the team, and the second unit bigs have been wild and inconsistent, certainly not looking ready to start games.
Baynes was supposed to be that stabilizing force in the front court. With Baynes, the Celtics knew they would have no liability on either end on the starting unit, giving Stevens his most stable and consistent lineup.
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Now the Celtics have to hope that Morris will not have much of a transition period. If that happens, and he is also not ready to start, then the Celtics will have to choose between going small ball all the time, or having a potential liability on the court at all times.
Guerschon Yabusele has shown signs of being a presence on defense, who will make plays with his intensity and effort. The problem is that if they are going to have an undersized player next to Al Horford, they want them to be three point threats.
Right now, there is not a single big on that second unit that is a trusted shooter, unless you want to count Jayson Tatum, which would be a very bold way for Stevens to start out the season.
Chances are this Baynes injury will prolong the transition period for this team. There is more chaos and more uncertainty with him sidelined, and then things may have to change once again when he returns.
Stevens has not had enough time to establish exactly how he wants this team to function, and it is hard to make any front court progress with the time that Morris has missed and Baynes will miss.
The Celtics could potentially see their rebounding woes surface in a bad way again. They may have a lot of trouble preventing teams from attacking them in the paint. On top of all that, it will be more difficult for their lineups to establish any kind of chemistry if they are unsure of the roles players will have.
Fortunately, this is familiar territory for Stevens. He has spent almost the entirety of his career dealing with rosters that were transforming as the season was going on, and he always managed to find a way to make things work.
It may not be as pretty, and it may prevent them from reaching their peak as soon as possible, but Stevens is the reason why there is no reason to be too worried about the Baynes injury.
Next: Marcus Smart's Contract situation
This is still the most talented roster Stevens has ever had at his disposal, and it really is not even close. There Celtics will be transitioning and there could be a lot of changes during the season, but it should be a lot off fun to see all of it unfold, and hopefully culminate into something special when the playoffs come around.