On Tuesday, March 18, Baylor Scheierman announced his arrival on the NBA stage. The Boston Celtics rookie has struggled for legitimate playing time during his debut season. As the 30th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Scheierman was always going to need time to adjust to the professional leagues.
However, Joe Mazzulla called Scheierman’s number against the Brooklyn Nets, primarily due to the absence of both Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. The rookie responded with a 20-point outing, draining six of his seven shots from the perimeter.
During his postgame news conference, All-Star center Kristaps Porzingis spoke glowingly of Scheierman’s performance.
“I would say with each game, he’s getting more and more comfortable, and today, you could tell,” Porzingis said via Zack Cox of the Boston Herald. “After each three, his confidence just kept on going. Transition, pump-fake three, side-step, hit another three. Like, he was just rolling, and his confidence was sky-high and feeling good. Those kind of moments are always special to watch, especially to have a game like that at home, in front of our crowd. This kind of game, I think, will stay in his memory for his whole career.”
Scheierman, 24, is in the first year of a four-year, $5.1 million rookie-scale contract.
Celtics Joe Mazzulla Praises Scheierman’s Toughness
Joe Mazzulla also weighed in on Scheierman’s career night. The Celtics head coach praised the rookie’s toughness and basketball IQ, which will likely bode well for Scheierman’s chances at earning more minutes in the future.
“He’s got a high level of toughness to him,” Mazzulla said. “He’s got a good basketball IQ. To me, it’s just the consistency and the patience. You can’t get discouraged. You’re not defined by one day, two days. It’s really just a process. And there’s the small moments that you have to take advantage of, and all those guys have taken advantage in different moments. Tonight, it was his night. He did a great job, and just got to continue to work.”
Scheierman has made 19 appearances for Boston. For most of them, he’s looked like a rookie who struggled to match the pace and intensity of the game. However, over his last three outings for the franchise, he’s begun to show flashes of his upside as a rotational player.
Scheierman Is More Than a Shooter
While Scheierman is expected to eventually provide competition to Sam Hauser, it would be disingenuous to label him as just a sharpshooter. Scheierman is a wildly underrated rebounder. He’s also a high-level playmaker, capable of running an offense or creating for himself.
Of course, as we’ve now seen, Scheierman can knock down his perimeter jumpers. However, it’s worth noting that his upside is that of a three-level scorer, meaning he can finish at the rim, in the mid-range or from deep. After spending most of the season with the Maine Celtics, Scheierman is starting to earn opportunities to impress. However, his chances of cracking the current rotation are slim.
Instead, the rookie forward must remain patient and seize every opportunity that comes his way. Sooner or later, Scheierman will have the chance to stake his claim for a rotation spot. Until then, it will be worth keeping a close eye on his development in the G-League.
