NBA: 5 players taking a ‘leap’ in their game at the quarter-mark of the season

Aron Baynes, Phoenix Suns

Baynes is perhaps the most surprising of the players discussed, as he’s 33 and has been in the league for nearly a decade. Last season with the Celtics, Baynes was the defense-first role player the did very little on offense. While he was a productive player, the Celtics sent him to Phoenix to gain the necessary cap space to acquire Kemba Walker.

Suddenly, Baynes went from playing for a consistent winner to being a backup on one of the worst teams in the league. That all changed when starting center Deandre Ayton was suspended for 25 games for using diuretics, and Baynes moved into the starting lineup.

Even though the team had low expectations, Ayton’s suspension initially viewed as a significant loss for Phoenix. Since taking over for Ayton, Baynes has been one of the best centers in the league and Phoenix is the surprise team in the Western Conference. While Phoenix has made several moves to improve the team, it’s highly unlikely they expected this from Baynes.

The rim-protector they picked up over the summer is 6th in Offensive Rating (130), 7th in TS%, and is shooting 43.9 percent from deep with more than four attempts per game. All while he has maintained his stout defense.

When Ayton returns from his suspension, Phoenix will be facing a dilemma of who to start. Ayton may seem like the obvious answer, but it’s not as simple as many would think. When Baynes plays with the starters (Rubio, Oubre, Saric, and Booker), the Suns have one of the best five-man groups in the league, outscoring opponents by 12.5 points per 100 possessions. Ideally, Phoenix will start Baynes alongside Ayton.

However, the two big men are yet to play together, so we have no of knowing how successful they’ll be. The worst-case scenario for Phoenix is having Baynes come off the bench to dominate against opposing reserves. Time will tell what the Suns will do, but either way, it’s a good problem to have.