BOSTON — When Milwaukee switched 6-foot-11 forward Giannis Antetokounmpo to center during Game 1, the Celtics moved Al Horford into the pivot to guard him.


 


So starting Celtics center Aron Baynes played only 14:30 and backup Greg Monroe logged just 10:28. They combined for only one point — by Monroe — and six rebounds, and went 0-6 from the field.


 


Nevertheless, Celtics coach Brad Stevens hasn’t counted out his two [...]

BILL DOYLE The Worcester Telegram & Gazette

BOSTON — When Milwaukee switched 6-foot-11 forward Giannis Antetokounmpo to center during Game 1, the Celtics moved Al Horford into the pivot to guard him.

 

So starting Celtics center Aron Baynes played only 14:30 and backup Greg Monroe logged just 10:28. They combined for only one point — by Monroe — and six rebounds, and went 0-6 from the field.

 

Nevertheless, Celtics coach Brad Stevens hasn’t counted out his two big men for the remainder of the best-of-seven, opening-round Eastern Conference playoff series.

 

Baynes started Tuesday's Game 2 of the opening-round Eastern Conference playoff series at the Garden and Monroe came off the bench with 4:45 left in the first quarter. Surprisingly though, rookie Guerschon Yabusele was the first player off the Celtics bench, replacing Baynes with 7:52 left in the first before Monroe took his place.

 

At the half on Tuesday, Baynes had four points and four rebounds while Monroe had five points and two rebounds.

 

Of Baynes, Stevens said before the game: “We’ll continue to rely heavily on him whether that is for 10 minutes, 20 minutes or 30 minutes, and he is truly a guy that does not care. He just wants to win and that’s one of the things that I’ve always appreciated about him. We’ve got a locker room full of those guys and I think his leadership is a big reason why.”

 

Of Monroe, Stevens said: “He’s a really important part of our team. We need his scoring and his passing off the bench.”

 

Monroe was listed on the Celtics injury report as questionable because he was ill in the morning, but he felt better by the afternoon.

 

The 6-10, 265-pound Baynes started at center for most of the season, but averaged only 18.3 minutes and contributed just 6 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. He did, however, play tough, physical defense.

 

Even though the 6-11, 265-pound Monroe came off the bench, he actually averaged slightly more time (19.1 minutes) than Baynes and produced 10.2 points and 6.3 rebounds. He’s not the tough defender that Baynes is though.

 

As far as Bucks coach Joe Prunty is concerned, Baynes “knows his role and I would say most of their guys that’s one of the things that they do well. Each guy knows exactly what their roles are when they come in the game.”

 

Prunty pointed out one other thing about Baynes: “I know he was a good teammate with Dell in Australia.”

 

Bucks backup guard Matthew Dellavedova was with Baynes in their native Australia and he played with Monroe in Milwaukee last season and the first five games of this season before the Bucks dealt him, a protected first-round pick and a second-round pick to Phoenix for Eric Bledsoe.

 

For Milwaukee, Bledsoe has averaged 17.8 points and 5.1 assists. Monroe didn’t last long in Phoenix, which wanted to dump Bledsoe after he tweeted that he wanted out. The Suns didn’t plan to re-sign Monroe, who will be a free agent at season’s end, so they waived him on Feb. 1 and a week later he signed with the Celtics for $5 million for the remainder of the season.

 

Late in the season, both big men enjoyed their best games, although they didn’t come against playoff-caliber teams. On April 6, Monroe contributed 19 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists against the Bulls for his second career triple-double. In the regular-season finale on April 11, Baynes scored a career-high 26 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to lead the Celtics past the Nets.

 

The Celtics don’t expect such lofty numbers from either in the postseason, but they do hope they’ll contribute when needed.

 

This is Monroe’s eighth NBA season, but only his second postseason. He made the playoffs for the first time last season with the Bucks and averaged 13.2 points and 7.3 rebounds in 23.5 minutes off the bench as Toronto eliminated Milwaukee in six games in the opening round. In Milwaukee’s upset win at Toronto in Game 1, Monroe had 14 points and 15 rebounds in 26 minutes.

 

Baynes is in the playoffs for the fifth time and he won a championship ring in 2014 with the San Antonio Spurs. He’d love to earn another one.