On June 20th, 2019 the Phoenix Suns added everyone’s favorite Australian big man Aron Baynes in a trade with the Boston Celtics. Today, we’re going to break down the impact he may have on the Suns and the city of Phoenix.
During the middle of the first round of the 2019 NBA draft, the Phoenix Suns and Boston Celtics agreed to terms on a deal to send a 2020 first round pick that Phoenix had aquired from the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Boston’s 24th overall selection (Ty Jerome) and the subject of today’s article, Aron Baynes.
Baynes is a 6’10” 260lbs. center hailing from Gisborne, New Zealand.
He began his career with the San Antonio Spurs after going undrafted in 2009. In 2015, he signed with the Detroit Pistons where he would play out a two-year contract before signing with the Boston Celtics.
It was in Boston where Baynes’ game would be taken to the next level and he would become a household name.
Dubbed “Bad News Baynes” by fans, his hard hitting play on the floor mixed with his lovable personality has given him one of the largest cult followings among fans across the NBA.
Baynes is sure to be a fan favorite during his time here in Phoenix, but how will he actually affect the Suns in the win column?
He will absolutely be a key contributor to what looks to be a very strong Phoenix Suns bench squad, but his ability to rebound on both sides of the court, stretch the floor, and defend will surely get him some first team reps throughout the middle parts of games.
What may be most exciting part of the Baynes addition to the Phoenix Suns, though, is what he can bring to practice and how it will affect the development of the Suns’ former number one overall pick, DeAndre Ayton.
Known as one of the strongest players in the league, Baynes’ daily practice reps against Ayton will only help the second-year star with his development and his path to become one of the best big men in the league.
In the 2018-19 NBA season, Aron Baynes averaged 5.6 points/game with 4.7 rebounds/game and 0.7 blocks/game with the Boston Celtics.
Though he’s not a big stats guy, you don’t have to watch much tape to realize that Baynes’ impact is much further reaching than the stat sheet may show.
That being said, I expect Baynes’ stats to look similar on the Suns this year as we’ve seen in the past with the exception of a few more rebounds. I imagine that he will see the floor most often with guys like Mikal Bridges, Tyler Johnson, Cam Johnson, and Frank Kaminsky who are all guys that can score the ball.
Therefore, I’d expect him to average roughly about 5.2-6.0 points/game.
With the same lineup, however, Baynes will be the main board-getter averaging pretty close to 6.0 rebounds/game and will likely stay right around that 1.0 blocks/game.
In all, I expect Baynes’ numbers to go up slightly with more reps in Phoenix and I believe that his impact will be felt throughout the entire team for as long as he is a member of the Phoenix Suns.