Aussies in NBA: Baynes to make Pistons debut against Bulls

After signing with the Detroit Pistons as a free agent during the off-season, Aron Baynes is set to make his debut for his new team.

Pistons.com editor Keith Langolis reported that Baynes took part in full practice yesterday and that Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy had initially flagged Baynes’ return on Monday (Australia time) against the San Antonio Spurs.

However, it appears Baynes impressed enough in practice that Van Gundy has decided to move his timetable forward, and he will now play tomorrow against the Chicago Bulls.

Baynes had ankle surgery during the off-season which forced him to miss the Olympic qualifiers against New Zealand and delayed his start to the pre-season.

He signed a 3 year $20 million deal with the Pistons, and was targeted to bring toughness and offense to the Pistons lineup.

Baynes will play primarily as the backup center, behind young star Andre Drummond, but also see limited minutes at power forward sharing the court with Drummond.