Boston Celtics: Aron Baynes Turning Into a Steal

Celtics free agent acquisition Aron Baynes has outplayed his $4.3 million price tag as of late.

With center Al Horford shelved with a concussion on Wednesday night against the Lakers, Boston Celtics fans could see the team’s nine-game winning streak crumbling apart.

Horford has been a primary catalyst for the team’s rampant success over the first few weeks of the season, establishing a tremendous rapport with Kyrie Irving while leading the team in rebounds per game and the league in defensive win shares.

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However, Aron Baynes was just waiting in the wings for his chance to shine. The New Zealander broke out for 21 points in just 23 minutes while the Celtics throttled the Lakers to the tune of a 107-96 margin. He was efficient from the field, shooting 8-for-12, while retrieving eight rebounds and dishing out three assists.

Despite averaging just 4.25 points per game over the first four contests in November, Baynes has recorded double digits on two separate occasions on the Celtics’ winning streak. He garnered 10 points against the 76ers in the team’s first win, picking up eight rebounds and shooting 5-for-8 from the field in a shallow 14 minutes.

A week later, Baynes saw his minutes rise to 24 in a triumph over the Bucks, and he put up what was then a season high of 12 points on 3-of-6 shooting from the field and a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw stripe.

While he is the only Celtic in the regular rotation who is unable to shoot the three-pointer, Baynes has proven himself capable of knocking down jump shots out to about 16 feet. He has connected on 42.9 percent of his chances from between 10 and 16 feet away from the hoop, emerging as a viable candidate to hit a midrange jumper when left wide open following a pick-and-roll with Irving or Terry Rozier.

Baynes value on the offensive end is marginal compared to what he brings offensively. His defensive rating of 89.6 is the best on the Celtics and the third-highest in the league among players averaging at least 15 minutes per night. His 0.054 defensive win shares is a top-21 mark in the NBA, and his defensive box plus-minus of 2.4 is by far the best of his career.

When a shot goes up, Baynes has been nothing but an anchor for Boston in the rebounding department. Per 36 minutes, he is averaging 10.7 rebounds with a total rebound percentage of 15.9 percent and a defensive rebound percentage of 20.0 percent.

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If Baynes can continue to boast a strong defensive presence while filling in offensively when needed, expect him to command 20 minutes per night.

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