NBA: Ranking all 30 starting centers for 2018-19

18. Aron Baynes, Boston Celtics

Aron Baynes‘ stat line — both from last season and throughout his career — certainly doesn’t suggest he should rank this high. There’s a chance he doesn’t even start if head coach Brad Stevens opts for a small-ball unit, starting Al Horford at the 5 with Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Gordon Hayward manning the wings.

However, that would be a grind for whichever wing had to play the 4, and Horford prefers playing power forward anyway. With that in mind, Baynes makes the most sense for the Boston Celtics, especially considering his overlooked prowess on the defensive end.

People will only focus on Baynes’ 6.0 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, but he also posted one of the lowest defensive ratings in the entire league as the underrated piece of the NBA’s most stifling defense. He’s not a shot-blocker, but he’s a terrific positional defender and physical presence in the paint. If the 3-point shooting he randomly touted in the playoffs is sustainable, even this generous ranking might not be enough to capture his two-way impact.