spursparker9
02-04-2015, 08:57 AM
https://cdn1.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/fFOOny6LFvJndwqKwGay_w2tTG0=/0x25:2287x1550/709x473/cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/45619436/usa-today-8151145.0.jpg
Aron Baynes is finally living up to the potential that endeared him to many Spurs fans.
Going from roster filler to rotation fixture is hard to do on a good team, no matter how talented someone is, even for young players in which a franchise is invested. We've seen Ian Mahinmi, James Anderson and a bunch of second round picks never gaining a foothold with the Spurs, simply because they couldn't improve enough to claim it. For older guys like Nando De Colo, Austin Daye and potentially Jeff Ayres the challenge is even greater; the opportunities often come only once.
It takes genuine improvement to change Pop's perception of a player and consistent production to sustain a role with the Spurs. That's why what Aron Baynes has done this year is so impressive.
Baynes was a bit player last season, averaging 9.3 minutes in 53 games in the regular season and 7.2 in 14 playoffs appearances. There were some flashes of potential as a decent two-way player and his rebounding was very good from the start, but Baynes didn't really deserve more time on the court. He wasn't unplayable but he was, by all metrics, a below-average player.
This season Baynes is getting 15.1 minutes per game, and while that number was inflated by Tiago Splitter's absence, Baynes has still averaged 13.2 minutes since his return and has played in every game in which he was healthy. Despite a rocky start to the season that saw Pop bench him after botched double teams and repeated offensive three seconds calls, Baynes is now a part of the rotation, the fourth big unless match ups indicate otherwise. Baynes is getting minutes this year simply because he is good enough to earn them.
Read the rest on
http://www.poundingtherock.com/2015/2/3/7952713/aron-baynes-has-become-a-solid-big-man
Aron Baynes is finally living up to the potential that endeared him to many Spurs fans.
Going from roster filler to rotation fixture is hard to do on a good team, no matter how talented someone is, even for young players in which a franchise is invested. We've seen Ian Mahinmi, James Anderson and a bunch of second round picks never gaining a foothold with the Spurs, simply because they couldn't improve enough to claim it. For older guys like Nando De Colo, Austin Daye and potentially Jeff Ayres the challenge is even greater; the opportunities often come only once.
It takes genuine improvement to change Pop's perception of a player and consistent production to sustain a role with the Spurs. That's why what Aron Baynes has done this year is so impressive.
Baynes was a bit player last season, averaging 9.3 minutes in 53 games in the regular season and 7.2 in 14 playoffs appearances. There were some flashes of potential as a decent two-way player and his rebounding was very good from the start, but Baynes didn't really deserve more time on the court. He wasn't unplayable but he was, by all metrics, a below-average player.
This season Baynes is getting 15.1 minutes per game, and while that number was inflated by Tiago Splitter's absence, Baynes has still averaged 13.2 minutes since his return and has played in every game in which he was healthy. Despite a rocky start to the season that saw Pop bench him after botched double teams and repeated offensive three seconds calls, Baynes is now a part of the rotation, the fourth big unless match ups indicate otherwise. Baynes is getting minutes this year simply because he is good enough to earn them.
Read the rest on
http://www.poundingtherock.com/2015/2/3/7952713/aron-baynes-has-become-a-solid-big-man