Wednesday night was not kind to the Boston Celtics, as the team suffered an upset loss at home to the the suddenly improved Phoenix Suns. Beyond the pain of that result, the Celtics also sustained a personnel loss, as veteran center Aron Baynes exited the contest after just two minutes of action with an apparent hand injury.
On Thursday evening, the exact nature of Baynes’ injury was announced and, in short, it isn’t ideal for either player or team.
#NEBHInjuryReport Aron Baynes underwent successful surgery to repair a fracture of his left fourth metacarpal.
He will return to play in 4-6 weeks.
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) December 21, 2018
It was clear after the game concluded that Baynes would miss some time but an absence of four to six weeks is jarring, especially given the fact that Boston is currently operating without All-Star center Al Horford. Baynes will never be a box score monster by any means, averaging just 5.5 points and 4.2 rebounds per game in limited action, but the Celtics value his size and toughness at a high level. In addition, Baynes has flashed the ability to step out and space the floor and, at the very least, Boston’s frontcourt depth will be tested over the next month.
On a team with Kyrie Irving, Jayson Tatum, Gordon Hayward and others, Aron Baynes will never be a featured piece, but the Celtics will have to operate without him for a while and his unavailability could have an impact.
