Celtics Journal: Baynes injury puts focus on Theis

BOSTON — Daniel Theis arrived in Boston from Germany last summer largely unknown. He went on to become a key member of the rotation for a team that battled for the top seed in the Eastern Conference most of the season.

Now the 6-foot-8 forward/center is looking to regain that form as he works his way back from the meniscus surgery that cut short his promising first year with the Celtics.

While there has been much [...]

BOSTON — Daniel Theis arrived in Boston from Germany last summer largely unknown. He went on to become a key member of the rotation for a team that battled for the top seed in the Eastern Conference most of the season.

Now the 6-foot-8 forward/center is looking to regain that form as he works his way back from the meniscus surgery that cut short his promising first year with the Celtics.

While there has been much attention on the returns of All-Stars Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward from their respective season-ending injuries, the battle of Theis to regain his stride after a summer full of rehab has mostly gone under the radar. Through the first three games of the season, he played only 18 minutes with two points, two rebounds and four fouls. But with Aron Baynes out for Monday night’s game against the Orlando Magic at TD Garden due to a hamstring strain, Theis was one of the players the team used to fill the void.

“He is the defensive anchor of our team,” Theis said pregame of Baynes. “He’s talking a lot on defense. He sees everybody in front of him. He’s talking to everybody. It’s going to be me, Al [Horford], and also everyone else, talking to each other and helping wherever we can.

“I knew he was going to be out so maybe [I got] mentally more prepared today.”

Celtics coach Brad Stevens said Baynes was able to run at about 70 percent of his body weight on the AlterG (anti-gravity) machine Monday, which is encouraging for a return sooner rather than later. Stevens said it has not yet been determined whether he will travel with the team to Oklahoma City on Wednesday for Thursday night’s game.

“Sounded like it was a hamstring strain,” Stevens said. “Felt pretty good about the diagnosis. Didn’t feel like it was any long, long-term thing. I feel fortunate that it isn’t. Pulling a hamstring, any type of muscular injury, this time of year is scary because it can keep guys out a while. But it doesn’t sound like that will be the case.”

The coach also mentioned Guerschon Yabusele and rookie Robert Williams as players who could see time at center while Baynes is sidelined.

“If there’s really one position where we have big, big numbers — if you go straight positions — the [center spot] is it,” Stevens said. “It doesn’t help to have one of your better players out, and certainly someone who is as impactful to winning as Aron has been, but when you [think] about Daniel being available, and Guerschon, and Robert, we’ve got some other guys there who will step in and fill those minutes.”

Theis suffered his meniscus tear on March 13 — the same weekend Irving’s knee injury flared up and Marcus Smart suffered a torn ligament in his thumb. He was not cleared for full basketball activities until shortly before the start of training camp last month.

“The first time [back on the court] was hard,” he said, “especially running up and down, jumping. I still feel I have to work on my explosiveness off one foot. But it’s getting back in shape and in rhythm.”

Theis said he has had no lingering knee pain, but it’s a matter of getting the rest of his body ready to play at NBA speed.

“You can’t duplicate an NBA game going out in practice,” he said. “So it’s good for me being out there again.

“At first it was a little bit OK. Second half [Saturday in New York] I felt better on defense. I felt more comfortable moving my feet. Just being in the right spots on defense.” 

Setting an example

For more than three decades the chant “Beat LA!” has been a battle cry of Celtics fans.

Now the Red Sox are getting in on the fun with Game 1 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers Tuesday night at Fenway Park.

“It’s all about the Red Sox,” Stevens said. “All that they’ve achieved this year, and certainly in this run, it’s incredible. We’re huge fans. Luckily we don’t play the next two nights so that will be on every one of our TVs. We’ll have a blast watching them and using them as a great example for our team.

“Everything about them just screams champions. So we’re hopeful they can get that done.”