Baynes knows what he can bring to the Spurs
If you've been keeping up with the news about the newest member of the San Antonio Spurs, Aron Baynes, odds are you've seen video clips online of the 
strong 6'10" Australian center.
Some fans of the Spurs may be a little weary of putting too much confidence into an overseas player coming to the NBA since there's a chance his game may not translate to the more physical league. If you're a member of that club, Baynes has you covered on what you can expect from him.
In an interview with Sportando.net, Baynes lets everyone know what he's bringing to the Spurs.
"I want to be a presence both offensively and defensively. I play with lots of energy, I put a lot into rebounding, playing defense, and scoring when the opportunity presents itself."
If he can bring a fraction of what he brought to his former team overseas, Baynes will be exactly what the Spurs need. With the exception of Tiago Splitter this year, the Spurs have desperately looked and needed a big who wasn't one or two dimensional, but one that brought many different characteristics to the court. Baynes may very well lift any additional burdens on the court that Tim Duncan has had to shoulder this season. The great opportunity Baynes has with this team is he'll be on the court with other really good players who command attention from the defense.
His power game in the paint is something the Spurs haven't had in years since David Robinson retired. That's a comparison that's shadowed every center since he left, but Baynes may be the actual closest thing since Robinson if he plays to his potential. There's no pressure on Aron to be a dominant player this year with this team as head coach Gregg Popovich told the center in a discussion:
"I have only had a brief talk with coach (Gregg) Popovich. He basically said I need to come in and do the things that got me here which is bring energy, toughness and do whatever the coaching staff wants me to do. I said I'm here to learn from them and from the veterans that will be ahead of me."
Baynes has plenty of time to fully get comfortable with the team as he's agreed to a fully guaranteed multi-year deal. He'll have teammates who understand the system and can help him out on the court, so there's no pressure from anyone for him to duplicate what he showed in Europe just yet. As of now, the Spurs are 3rd in the league in points forced (104.1), 20th in rebounds (41.6), 1st in assists (25.2), and 9th in points allowed (96.0).
Aron Baynes is coming into a special situation and if he can help make a team that's 34-11 and first in their division become better, that's a dream for Spurs fans and a nightmare for the rest of the NBA and its fans.
He has a great attitude! He also likes to mix it up inside. He has 7 foot and 2.5 inch wing span and is a bit explosive at 260 plus pounds. He will be given every opportunity to help out this year. I still want Donta Greene too. Any news yet on Greene anybody?
1 Like
Sounds like the spurs signed a Tyler Hansbrough type of player with more of an upside. who with his development he could turn out to be more of a Paul Millsap type. I like the move and am excited to see what he can bring to the team
1 Like
My hope for him this yr. is to just rebound. Right now, the second unit struggles on the glass and especially when Duncan goes to the bench. I like how the combo of Tiago and Timmy is progressing, but the lack of a good rebounder on that second unit has caused Pop to be creative w/ his subs. For instance, now Tiago comes in for Timmy and plays with Diaw as part of that 2nd unit. If this guy can rebound effectively, I can see Pop leaving Timmy and Tiago out there longer and have Boris and Baynes anchor that 2nd unit.
