OKLAHOMA CITY — Boston Celtics big man Aron Baynes accompanied the team on its two-game road trip and could return to action as early as Saturday’s visit to Detroit.
Baynes, who strained his hamstring last Saturday in New York, has already been ruled out for Thursday’s game in Oklahoma City but coach Brad Stevens said Baynes play against the Pistons.
“Hopeful [to play] but nothing determined. I think at best he’s 50/50 right now,” Stevens said Thursday at Boston’s morning shootaround.
Told that Baynes is eager to play now, Stevens added, "Baynes is? Shocking. Baynes wants to play all the time. He still tries to race people off the bus after a hamstring injury. But you love that part about him. He’s a competitive guy, he’s a fun guy. It kills him to not be able to play.”
Stevens said Baynes would likely be on a minutes restriction upon his return.
In the immediate aftermath of the strain, Stevens expressed fear that a hamstring injury could sideline Baynes for a bit. Baynes missed Monday’s loss to the Orlando Magic but Stevens expressed relief that the injury won’t sideline Baynes very long but said the team will still tread cautiously.
“Basketball is not a game where you can really script the directions you’re cutting and where you’re running and how hard you can go and everything else,” said Stevens. "It’s a lot of random movement, and being able to change direction quickly without thinking twice about its impact on him is really important. So I think that hamstring is something we’re going to be very careful with.”
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