Per The Athletic’s Jay King, Boston Celtics center Aron Baynes won’t play during the Celtics three-game road trip as he continues to a left foot contusion.
The Celtics will face the Milwaukee Bucks (February 21), the Chicago Bulls (February 23) and the Toronto Raptors (February 26) before returning to Boston to face the Portland Trail Blazers on February 27.
Baynes, who has had his fair share of bumps and bruises this season, injured his cuboid bone in mid-January and on February 3, the pain has become too severe for even him to continue playing on it as he normally would. Noted as a player with a high pain tolerance and a will to play through injuries, that Baynes would need significant time to recover from his foot contusion is indicative of a fairly serious problem.
It wouldn’t be surprising if his left foot started to bother him later on in the season, as nagging injuries have a way of rearing their ugly head at the worst time for players.
For the Celtics, it leaves them without a big man who has become a defensive anchor and spark of energy.
Averaging 5.7 points and 4.3 rebounds in 14.9 minutes per game while shooting 46.6 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from three-point range, Boston’s defensive rating when he’s off-the-court (107.8) pales in comparison to their defensive rating when he’s on it (102.1). Further, though he’s not seen as a rim-protector, Baynes has been a fine interior defender, holding opponents to 54.9 percent shooting within six feet of the rim (6.1 percent less than their season average).
Suffice to say, the team’s play — specifically on the defensive end — suffers without Baynes on the court, even with solid backups like Daniel Theis and Robert Williams III behind him on the depth chart.
