Pregame Post-Ups: C’s Plan to Pair Baynes & Horford More Consistently

BOSTON – Aron Baynes and Al Horford haven’t shared each other’s company this season nearly as often as they did last season.

So far, the big man duo has only played 38 minutes together for an average of 2.0 minutes per game in contests that they’ve both appeared in. That comes after playing alongside each other for 863 minutes last regular season for an average of 12.5 MPG.

Starting Friday night against Memphis, however, the Boston Celtics may begin to pair the two more often again.

“We’re looking to try to get ways to play those guys together a little bit more,” C’s coach Brad Stevens explained ahead of tip-off at TD Garden. “That’s something that you might see a little bit tonight, and certainly might see beyond tonight. Just because, I think, everybody benefits from Baynes and I think that it allows Al to post a little bit more. That allows Al to guard 4s and not have to bang as much. Baynes takes a lot of weight off of everybody’s shoulders. They didn’t play together the other day (against Toronto), but hopefully we’ll see that lineup some, probably not en masse, but some at least.”

Baynes returned Wednesday night from a four-week absence after fracturing his left fourth metacarpal. He was a critical presence for the C’s during their 117-108 win over the first-place Raptors, as he provided phenomenal interior grit.

That toughness should be of great value Friday night, as the C’s take on one of the premier big men in the NBA in Marc Gasol. J.B. Bickerstaff’s squad didn’t have to face Baynes during their matchup in late December, but he knows Baynes' presence could make a huge difference now that he’s back and healthy.

“He’s physical, he offensive rebounds, so now it puts more pressure on your defense to finish possessions,” Bickerstaff said of Baynes. “And then defensively he’s crafty, he’s smart, he’s always in the right place at the right time.”

For Horford, having that type of player at his side is extremely beneficial. It takes pressure off of him to be the primary interior defender, which preserves his body for the long term.

Plus, the Celtics play extremely well when Baynes and Horford on the court together, especially on the defensive end. During the limited time that those two have shared the frontcourt this season, the Celtics own a phenomenal defensive rating of 75.0.

The hope is that their mutual impact will continue to propel the team’s defense, as Baynes and Horford begin to play alongside one another more often from this point forward.

- Taylor Snow