Is Baynes here to push Dre?

[Pharaoh]

Exactly Snake!

We needed a C that:

1 - is tough
2 - can play some PF
3 - came from a winning culture
4 - is fundamentally sound
5 - is Australian!

Let's face it - the best teams in the league have Aussies! Spurs, Warriors, Cavs! No Aussies is why Thunder can't win a title!

[Brapman]

Teams need quality backups at every position. Baynes is going to help us. So will Anthony, but in way more limited minutes. Baynes is good enough, I believe, that we could sustain a short-term injury to Drummond.

IMO, the only question mark in our rotation is whether we have a good enough backup PG. Otherwise, I think we're legitimately two or three deep in quality players at every position.

[BadMofoPimp]

Exactly Snake!

We needed a C that:

1 - is tough
2 - can play some PF
3 - came from a winning culture
4 - is fundamentally sound
5 - is Australian!

Let's face it - the best teams in the league have Aussies! Spurs, Warriors, Cavs! No Aussies is why Thunder can't win a title!

Cavs haven't won one yet either.

[tmorgan]

Exactly Snake!

We needed a C that:

1 - is tough
2 - can play some PF
3 - came from a winning culture
4 - is fundamentally sound
5 - is Australian!

Let's face it - the best teams in the league have Aussies! Spurs, Warriors, Cavs! No Aussies is why Thunder can't win a title!

Except the Thunder START an Aussie... so yeah, that's not it.

[whitehops]

Except the Thunder START an Aussie... so yeah, that's not it.

he's not an aussie, he's a kiwi.

[Eoghan]

Baynes is a capable energy big and a solid vet. I doubt they brought him in to push Dre in the competitive sense, more in the "maybe some Poppovich IQ/athleticism will rub off on him" sense.

[DBC10]

Baynes is a capable energy big and a solid vet. I doubt they brought him in to push Dre in the competitive sense, more in the "maybe some Poppovich IQ/athleticism will rub off on him" sense.

True. That Spurs pedigree was likely one of the top 3 reasons why Stan paid him the money to bring him over. I'd rather have wanted Tiago, but he's way more pricey and Baynes is capable of things Tiago can do anyways.

[coordinator0]

Even when Detroit had Monroe to push Drummond for minutes at center he still had his mental lapses. I don't think Baynes is going to change much in that regard. He's just going to be a solid backup center that brings something different to the table than what the Pistons have had there recently.

[Brapman]

He also brings the hurt when he plays. No way the Pistons get dominated physically this season by any team. In fact, I still think that the toughness SVG added with all of his signings and picks is going to be an essential element for us.

[MrBigShot]

He's not talented enough to push Dre. Which is a shame, because Dre could definitely use someone who can outplay him if he's not giving maximum effort.

[BadMofoPimp]

SVG likes bigs who can push in practice. Like Dwight had Gortat etc.

[tmorgan]

Except the Thunder START an Aussie... so yeah, that's not it.

he's not an aussie, he's a kiwi.

Except that when I said that when we signed him, someone said he'd punch me in the face if I called him a Kiwi. He was born in NZ, but raised in Australia, apparently. He's an Aussie in his own mind.

[Pharaoh]

Except the Thunder START an Aussie... so yeah, that's not it.

he's not an aussie, he's a kiwi.

Except that when I said that when we signed him, someone said he'd punch me in the face if I called him a Kiwi. He was born in NZ, but raised in Australia, apparently. He's an Aussie in his own mind.

My Aussie comment was a joke. I thought it was obvious.

It's obvious that it wasn't obvious enough

[Laimbeer]

Baynes is a capable energy big and a solid vet. I doubt they brought him in to push Dre in the competitive sense, more in the "maybe some Poppovich IQ/athleticism will rub off on him" sense.

True. That Spurs pedigree was likely one of the top 3 reasons why Stan paid him the money to bring him over. I'd rather have wanted Tiago, but he's way more pricey and Baynes is capable of things Tiago can do anyways.

Great point, but Tiago (8.25M) makes less than Baynes (6.5M) and Anthony (2.5M). I realize Joel brings some vet intangibles, but I seriously question wanting those two over Tiago and maybe a scrap heap minimum guy.

The Baynes and Splitter transactions were about a week away from each other and Anthony had not been signed, so I don't think it was timing.

[Brapman]

We haven't seen anything yet from Baynes. He has just gotten back to playing ball and working out doing BB drills full-time. All we're seeing now is a lot of rust and a deconditioned athlete. He'll catch up and be a big help to us.

[Todd3]

Baynes is a capable energy big and a solid vet. I doubt they brought him in to push Dre in the competitive sense, more in the "maybe some Poppovich IQ/athleticism will rub off on him" sense.

True. That Spurs pedigree was likely one of the top 3 reasons why Stan paid him the money to bring him over. I'd rather have wanted Tiago, but he's way more pricey and Baynes is capable of things Tiago can do anyways.

Great point, but Tiago (8.25M) makes less than Baynes (6.5M) and Anthony (2.5M). I realize Joel brings some vet intangibles, but I seriously question wanting those two over Tiago and maybe a scrap heap minimum guy.

The Baynes and Splitter transactions were about a week away from each other and Anthony had not been signed, so I don't think it was timing.

Dont discount the Budenholzer/SA connection. If Stan and Budenholzer both offered to take Tiagos contract, odds are they go with ATL anyways.

Personally i dont see much difference between the two. Baynes is a little younger, a little cheaper, and better FTs (which is important with Drummond). So i can see why Stan signed him instead

[mercury]

280 LB Centers are not cut in the same mold as wings in terms of consistent energy level... Baynes is not being asked to log 30 minutes... when you carry this much weight the key is picking the right spots for the down cycle... there are bigs that run around like a headless chicken that are inefficient defenders. You have to know when to hedge and recover without over committing.

I hope Dre's improvement comes in the film room (know opponents tendencies) and developing natural instincts without needing time to think.

[Redeemed]

He's not talented enough to push Dre. Which is a shame, because Dre could definitely use someone who can outplay him if he's not giving maximum effort.

He could push Dre in terms of physicality. The Spurs players have commented on how imposing Baynes was in their practices. I think if he can bang with Dre, he can push Dre's intensity level. As a skilled baller, he can provide quality minutes. He doesn't need to have the same talent level as long as he can move the meter while he's on the floor and bring muscle, shooting, and boards to the practices and games.

[Phenomenonsense]

He is here to push dre for sure. Like on the swings when they're hanging out.