Kyrie Irving, Al Horford, Jayson Tatum, and Jaylen Brown have each received a large portion of credit for Boston’s 26-7 record this season, which is a league best.
Aron Baynes, however, has hardly received any recognition for what he brings to the squad. The 31-year-old veteran has played every game consistently, and even though he is only averaging 6.2 points and 5.2 rebounds, Baynes is a huge help to winning games.
Although he isn’t one of the most vital players by any stretch of the imagination, he is rarely respected for what he brings to the table.
Some other possible players include Marcus Morris and Marcus Smart.
Unfortunately, Morris has been battling with a knee injury the entire season and has missed a good amount of contests where he would have proved his worth. Smart is a huge part of the lockdown defense Boston strives for, however he is often criticized for his shot selection and poor shooting.
My favorite thing about Baynes has been his consistency and presence in the paint. He never shies away from getting physical on defense, and knocks down jumpers from the elbow as smooth as anyone else.
In his most recent games where he logged at least 20 minutes, the Australian native has had impressive performances including 13 rebounds against the Detroit Pistons and 17 points against the Denver Nuggets.
With a team as young as this years Boston Celtics, a veteran such as Aron Baynes is vital to achieving continued success.
The 6-foot-10 center spent his first three seasons in the NBA with the San Antonio Spurs under head coach Gregg Popovich. In his second year, the Spurs took home the Larry O’Brien trophy which makes Baynes the only Celtic besides Kyrie Irving who has seen what it takes to be the best in the league.
Hopefully, behind the stars of the Celtics and their unsung hero Baynes, Boston will successfully claim their 18th NBA title and Baynes will finally get the acknowledgement he deserves.
