The official start date for Free Agency is November 20, and the Toronto Raptors will have a lot to think about at the Center position.
The questions keep accumulating for the Toronto Raptors when talking about who will be their Center/s next season. Serge Ibaka will be looking for a lucrative deal, and Marc Gasol is most likely to finish his career where it all started, FC Barcelona. So adding on to the pile: Who will be their Center next season?
Well, what is most expected from the league is that Serge Ibaka will sign a big one-year deal with the Toronto Raptors. But if this fails to happen, then one name on the market that may be of interest to the Raptors is Aron Baynes.
Following a career year with the Suns, Aron Baynes is going to be looking for a new home for the 2020-2021 season. Baynes will possibly do what most free-agents are doing this offseason, which is to sign a one-year deal this offseason. This is due to the financial losses the NBA has suffered from the pandemic and the Hong Kong controversy.
This can make the Raptors prime candidates to pick up the New Zealand native on a one-year deal. But why exactly should the Raptors consider him?
Aron Baynes can stretch the floor as Marc Gasol did
The Toronto Raptors are among the teams who shoot the most threes. The acquisition of Marc Gasol has helped them tremendously in ranking that high. Gasol was a willing shooter and stretched the floor so the team’s star, Siakam, can operate at will on offense.
Baynes shot the three at a 35 percent clip last season with most looks being wide-open shots. It may not be as good as Gasol who shot the three at 38.5 percent, but it is still a respectable number. If Baynes can get that to 36 percent, it’d be a huge win for the Raptors if he’s here.
Baynes would fit right in, replacing somewhat Gasol did on offense. Obviously, Baynes wouldn’t offer the same versatility on offense as Gasol. Gasol’s playmaking off the post was a huge part of his game and something the Raptors will miss tremendously.
But like Gasol, Baynes will be doing all the little things that are not as noticeable. This includes being used as a screener, being a pick and pop threat, making the extra passes, and cutting to the rim — Gasol didn’t do that one too much.
Having a Center who can shoot threes will also help Nick Nurse keep a similar system to what he has now, which is centered around facilitating the game for Pascal Siakam.
Aron Baynes is a Defensive Coordinator
Aron Baynes is a player who puts defense ahead of everything. He was even called a “Defensive Coordinator“ by his ex-teammate, Marcus Smart. We know how important defense is for Nick Nurse. He’s a mastermind on that end and bringing in a player who is also very vocal can benefit both parties in getting better.
When Baynes was part of an organized defense, he ranked among the best defenders at his position. Here are the on/off stats for points allowed per 100 possessions, per Cleaning The Glass.
- 16-17 Detroit Pistons: -9.6 fewer points allowed when on court
- 17-18 Boston Celtics: -7.0 fewer points allowed when on court
- 18-19 Boston Celtics: -3.3 fewer points allowed when on court
His best trait on defense is his rim-protecting. When Baynes is on the court, teams tend to be more reluctant to shoot around the rim. He may not have the most amount of blocks, but Baynes’ presence is definitely felt around the rim — unlike Whiteside who is an overall awful defender but is a good stat padder.
The Raptors are one of the most vocal teams on defense and the addition of a Defensive Coordinator will only solidify their defense further. Baynes will shine most when defending guys like Nikola Jokić and Joel Embiid. Which brings us to our next point.
Aron Baynes gives the Toronto Raptors more defensive versatility
One thing the Toronto Raptors took a lot of pride in was shutting down a player like Joel Embiid. That’s because they had that tool in their toolkit with Marc Gasol. With Gasol most likely gone, they’re going to need to replace his presence on defense. This is where Baynes comes in.
Baynes is not as elite as Gasol is a defender, but as previously mentioned he is still a pretty good defender. What they have in common are the type of players they have success defending. Baynes may not hold Embiid to 0 points as Gasol did. However, he can hold his own when defending him. Contrary to Ibaka, who has struggled to defend centers like Embiid, B. Lopez, Jokić.
Having Baynes will allow the Raptors to still operate like a Swiss Army knife on defense. That was the Raptors recipe for success, and continuing to have that unique personnel is something the Raptors would love to have once again.
If Toronto Raptors want to save money, Baynes is a cheaper option compared to Ibaka
If the Raptors’ intentions are to save money or prioritize money elsewhere, Baynes would serve as a much cheaper option for the team over Ibaka. Ibaka might be a better offensive player, but Baynes brings enough to the table to not be a negative on that end. He knows when to make the extra pass — he did play on the 2014 Spurs team — is not afraid to shoot the three, and is good at making timely cuts.
On defense, Baynes is just an overall better defender. Serge Ibaka is far from being the defender he was at OKC. He is no longer an elite rim-protector and the stats are there to prove that. Even as an overall defender, the on/off stats show that Ibaka hasn’t been a net positive on defense since his OKC days, per Cleaning The Glass.
Ibaka is a great player and a fascinating character, but are the Raptors willing to pay $20 million for a player who is an overall negative on defense on a team where defense is everything. Baynes is the superior defender and does everything Nurse would want from his Center and more. Baynes at a potential $10-12 million deal would leave the Raptors with extra cap space which can help them in other positions.
At the end of the day, it entirely depends on Ibaka and if he wants that one year deal in the first place. Ibaka is a loveable player and he has repeatedly stated how much he loves the city of Toronto. But if Baynes is the consolation prize, I wouldn’t be too disappointed with that decision.