The Detroit Pistons lost one of their best players, Greg Monroe, in free agency, yet they still expect to be better and compete for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The big reason for their optimism is depth as they expect to have a ten man rotation filled with players that can contribute in a big way. One of those players is Aron Baynes, the backup center, but he reportedly will be limited in training camp and is not a lock to be ready for the season opening game, according to Keith Langlois of NBA.com.
Aron Baynes attended Washington State for four years before graduating back in 2009 and went undrafted. It wasn't until the 2012-13 season that Baynes got his first chance with an NBA team and that was the San Antonio Spurs, where he ended up playing his first three seasons. In his first two seasons in San Antonio, Baynes didn't get much of any playing time, but the Spurs liked his size and they finally gave him a shot last year when Tiago Splitter went down with an injury.
Baynes played in 70 games (17 starts) a year ago and played by far the most minutes he ever had. In 16 minutes per game the New Zealand native averaged 6.6 points and 4.5 rebounds while also making 57 percent of his field goals. Baynes proved last season that he could be a solid backup center in the NBA, and the Pistons rewarded him with a three year $19 million contract.
Baynes is expected to be the primary backup to Andre Drummond at center, but he is still dealing with an ankle injury that has been bothering him all offseason. Baynes is expected to be a limited participant in training camp and while he is fully expected to be ready for the first game of the season, that is not a guarantee at this time.
If Baynes were unable to go to start the season, the Pistons still have Joel Anthony who could backup Drummond for a short period of time, but that would be a bit of a downgrade. Anthony is a veteran who has been through it all in the NBA, but Baynes is in his prime and getting paid good money to produce for them off the bench. Baynes should be back to start the season, but this situation is definitely worth monitoring as training camp gets under way.
