New Celtics Draftee Adds Size, Shooting to an Already Loaded Roster

Whether or not the Boston Celtics were going to use the 30th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft was an absolute mystery until the very instant the pick was in.

The fate of the pick had been the subject of much intrigue for the past week. Different reports surfaced daily, ranging from the Celtics trading up to relinquishing the pick altogether in favor of financial flexibility.

Additional speculation appeared in the form of who the selection might be used on; names such as Duke’s Jared McCain, USC’s Isaiah Collier, and Indiana’s Kel'el Ware spun through the rumor mill for days, with little substantive evidence behind any of the three. To put it very simply, everything related to pick No. 30 was an abject mystery.

But, when the time came, and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver made the night’s final foray to the podium, it was the newly minted World Champion Boston Celtics selecting Creighton’s Baylor Scheierman with the 30th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

Scheierman is something of a typical late-first round pick: an accomplished college player who lacks the youth (he’ll be 24 before the season gets underway) and the all-around prowess (his defense leaves something to be desired) to be a top-end guy.

However, he possesses a few elite traits: he paced his 2023-24 Creighton Bluejays to the tune of 18.5 points, and 3.9 assists while shooting 38.1% from beyond the arc on an eye-popping 8.3 attempts per game. He also led the team on the glass, pulling down nine rebounds per game. At nearly 6-foot-7, his all-around, sharpshooting profile is a rare one and one that Boston hopes can translate to the NBA.

Scheierman doesn’t project to defend at a high level; his limited lateral quickness and below-average athleticism prohibit him from excelling on that end.

As far as improvements on that side of the ball, he’s probably reached his physical peak heading into his age-24 season. But if any organization can turn him into an NBA-caliber defender, it’s Boston.

Look no further than guys like Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard, who both became passable (at worst) defenders in the Celtics' rotation after entering the league with defensive vulnerabilities.

This isn’t to say Scheierman ought to make an All-Defense team anytime soon, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him improve significantly under the tutelage of a fantastic coaching staff.

Boston’s 2023 draftee Jordan Walsh was always going to be a project. The Arkansas alum came into the league as a raw, long, talented player a ways off from impacting NBA games. Scheierman is on the other side of the spectrum.

His shooting, feel for the game, and advanced age make him a legitimate candidate to compete for back-end rotational minutes right away. When you factor in the likely departures of Xavier Tillman Sr. and Oshae Brissett, as well as Sam Hauser’s contract year, the prospect of Scheierman playing a real role for the Celtics next season is a legitimate one. 

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