We've almost got the Boston Celtics back on our screens, with the team beginning its preseason schedule on Thursday, October 8th, taking on the Cleveland Cavaliers. One player who could see an increased role this season is Baylor Scheierman.
Entering his third year, Scheierman got off to a slow start, but he ended last season strong. Following the NBA All-Star break, Scheierman averaged 8.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.4 assists. While those numbers don't jump off the page, his efficiency was what was valuable to Boston, shooting 45.7% from the field and 40.3% from three.
After playing an important role in last season's rotation, Scheierman is ready to improve his game again.
Why Baylor Scheierman will be important for the Celtics
When he was drafted by the Celtics at the end of the first round in the 2024 NBA draft, Scheierman's best strength was his three-point shooting. After playing a small role in his rookie year, Scheierman's shooting has lived up to his potential. What has made his shooting more of a threat, though, has been his ability to score past his defender when creating for himself.
An important aspect of any three-point shooter who specializes in catch-and-shoot shots is the ability to create for yourself once opposing defenses begin to try to take away your shooting. We saw Scheierman take his offense to another level by either getting to the rim for an easy shot or passing to the big or a stepback three. This is an important growth for the Creighton alum as it makes him a better threat in his off-ball role that he'll play for the Celtics, since he can now attack defenses in another way than just catch-and-shoot three-pointers.
While I don't expect Scheierman to become a go-to scorer for Boston, this improvement is still valuable to the overall offense of the Celtics, especially since he could easily find himself in the starting lineup.
Heading into the season, Boston most likely has three locked-in starters: Jayson Tatum, Derrick White, and Paul George. The other two spots are up for grabs, though one will be either Neemias Queta or Mitchell Robinson.
The last spot could be earned by Baylor Scheierman.
The Celtics should name Baylor Scheierman as a starter
Scheierman can easily fill out the starting lineup if Boston wants to keep Payton Pritchard as a key ball-handler and shot creator off the bench. With Scheierman's skill set being more off-ball, he might be a better fit to start, as his offense won't be that different than someone like Pritchard, who might play more off-ball if he starts.
The biggest weakness of Scheierman entering the draft was his defense. During last season, he improved his defense and has become serviceable on that end. If he can hold his own on the defensive end again this year, having multiple great defenders around him will help his defense.
Last season gave Scheierman a great opportunity, and while it took some time, he showed his value to the team. He'll have a similar opportunity this season, and if the end of last season showed us anything, it's that Scheierman is ready for it.
Add us as a preferred source on Google