BOSTON -- Rarely a week passes by without a Boston Celtics player being out with some type of injury or ailment.
And today’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder will once again feature the Celtics playing a bit short-handed with Aron Baynes out with what team officials describe as a left foot contusion that was noted after he had an MRI on Saturday.
Celtics head coach Brad Stevens said the 6-foot-10 center was not going to be back in the lineup anytime soon.
“I don’t anticipate him being back anytime in the next week or so,” Stevens said.
Unfortunately for Boston, Baynes is not the only Celtics player banged up right now.
MORE FROM A. SHERROD BLAKELY
Boston will also be without rookie center Robert Williams III who has a sore back, according to Stevens who added that his injury isn't expected to keep him out as long as Baynes.
Boston Celtics
"It seems like, unfortunately, when Baynes has been unavailable, that's also coincided with Robert being unavailable," Stevens said. "So hopefully those other guys, we feel good about those other guys but we're a little bit down at that spot."
This injury is the latest setback for arguably Boston’s best low post defender.
Baynes, who had a league-best defensive rating of 96.6 last season, once again finds himself among the league’s best this season with a defensive rating of 97.9.
The Celtics have not seen nearly as much of the veteran big man as they would like due to injuries.
Prior to missing today’s game, Baynes has missed 18 games due to an assortment of injuries ranging from a right hamstring strain (that cost him two games) to a left fourth metacarpal fracture which sidelined him for 13 games.
And his presence will surely be missed against the Thunder tonight, a team that has won seven in a row and currently are third in the Western Conference standings.
Paul George has been among the best players in the league this season with his play at both ends of the floor, and Russell Westbrook is a walking near triple-double whenever he steps on the court.
But often overlooked in Oklahoma City’s success is the play of Steven Adams, a rugged interior defender/rebounder whose ability to impact the game around the rim will only become a greater concern without Baynes.
The 25-year-old is averaging a near double-double of 15.3 points and 9.9 rebounds per game - both career highs - while shooting 60.7 percent from the field.
Look for Daniel Theis and Guerschon Yabusele to be the likely benefactors to Baynes’ absence.
MORE CELTICS
Theis, who has not played (coaches decision) in two of Boston’s last three games, has averaged 6.2 points and 4.1 rebounds while appearing in 38 games.
And his defensive rating of 96.7 is tops among all NBA players who average at least 14 minutes per game this season.
Outside of Baynes, Yabusele is Boston's strongest frontcourt player which puts him in play to play today against Adams who is widely considered one of the strongest players in the NBA.
"He's our next guy as far as guarding a guy that really sits down in the post and plays, when we don't have Baynes available because of his physical strength," Stevens said. "Theis will battle; Theis will do that. If you ask Theis to have to guard those guys for six, seven, eight minutes that's a little bit more difficult whereas Yabusele can do that, or maybe they can split that. Those are things that you think about and you watch as the game goes on."
Click here to download the new MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Celtics easily on your device.