The competition for minutes remains fierce for the Boston Celtics. Even with half their roster currently on the shelf, players on the back end of the Celtics bench are battling each other for playing time, which creates an interesting dynamic as they head down the home stretch of the regular season.
Eventually, stars such as Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis are going to find their way back into the lineup. It’s also tough to find playing time for the players out of the rotation since the Celtics have a legitimate NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award candidate in Payton Pritchard.
But a breakout performance in Thursday’s 123-105 win over the Philadelphia 76ers may have altered whatever plans Joe Mazzulla had down the stretch and it could lead to more playing time for a player Celtics fans have been waiting on all season.
Baylor Scheierman Breakout Could Earn More Playing Time For Celtics
The Celtics came into Thursday night’s game severely shorthanded, but the injuries opened the door for several players to see the court, including Baylor Scheierman. The 30th pick in last summer’s NBA Draft broke out in a big way, nearly tripling his previous career-high with 29 minutes in the win over the 76ers.
The opportunity led to production, as Scheierman scored a career-high 15 points while grabbing three rebounds and three assists. He also adapted well to the Celtics’ success from beyond the arc, connecting on 3-of-7 3-point attempts in the victory.
But while the stats are nice, Scheierman did a lot between the margins. He drew a pair of charges in the first half, including a call against Guerschon Yabusele that sent everyone from Jayson Tatum to assistant coach DJ MacLeay into a frenzy. He also was willing to take the shot from the outside when it was there and crashed the boards with intensity.
Baylor Scheierman showed out against the 76ers last night ☘️
— Tomek Kordylewski (@Timi_093) March 7, 2025
The rookie set a new career-high with 15 points (3-7 3PT) to go with 3 rebounds and 3 assists in 30 minutes off the bench: pic.twitter.com/IBZZTdQlkj
It’s a positive development for a player who hasn’t seen the court much during his rookie season. The Creighton product was instructed to put on weight upon his arrival into the NBA and while he’s not a finished player, he certainly looked like one that could impact games down the stretch.
The problem is that the Celtics are going to get healthy, and Scheierman may have to wait his turn to make a bigger impact. But the 24-year-old showed he’s capable of contributing when his number is called, which could make nights like Thursday more common going forward.