There are very few new faces suiting up for the Boston Celtics this season. Sure, there are a few Exhibit 10 guys like Ron Harper Jr. and Dmytro Skapintsev, but as far as the main roster is concerned, it’s pretty much the same bunch from last season.
The lone exceptions are the two drafted rookies, Baylor Scheierman and Anton Watson. Even then, only Scheierman is on a standard contract, as Watson is on a two-way.
So, how has the only true roster addition looked through two preseason games?
Well, he’s no Carsen Edwards, that’s for sure.
Scheierman’s pair of exhibition outings have been rough. The 24-year-old swingman has shot just 1-for-9 so far in 19 total minutes. Some of those misses have been rough. His first attempt in Friday’s win hit the top of the backboard, then he failed to catch iron with an airball from the top of the key.
Truthfully, this is understandable. You have to think, throughout his basketball career, the Nebraska native has probably never had to wait until the fourth quarter to check into a game. If you pair that with the obvious nerves that would come along with making his professional debut, it shouldn’t be surprising that the rook has looked a little uncomfortable out there.
Even with the jitters, there have still been some encouraging flashes from Scheierman. First and foremost, he got himself in the scoring column by making a nice cut to the top of the key, where he then sank a triple.
It may seem minute, but if the former Creighton standout is going to fit into Boston’s rotation, then this is the type of thing he’ll need to do to create offense for himself. He likely won’t see opportunities to try to break down a defender with multiple dribbles, so cutting will be key.
Coming out of the draft, it quickly became apparent that Scheierman was more than just a scorer. In his senior season at Creighton, he averaged just under four assists per game and was a consistent force on the glass with about nine rebounds each night.
We got a look at his passing and decision-making at Summer League, where he averaged 3.4 assists, and then again on Sunday morning. Take a look at the below clip. Scheierman does a great job of getting Xavier Tillman’s defender to shade towards the paint with a fake pass, before dishing to an open X in the far corner.
Drew Peterson has been impressive in his limited preseason minutes.
Good movement here as a screener. Sets wedge screen for Tillman. Rotates over and sets the pin-down as part of the Zoom/Chicago action for Baylor Scheierman.
Super active, making the most of opportunity pic.twitter.com/FUkW8mjHr7
— Adam Taylor (@AdamTaylorNBA) October 7, 2024
Back in June, Brad Stevens said that he and the front office had thought highly of Scheierman before the draft, labeling him as a winning player.
“He’s always been super skilled, super smart, and super tough,” Stevens said of Scheierman after the draft. “Like, he’s a basketball player now. He knows how to play.”
In his short time with the Celtics, the first-rounder has already shown a commitment to improvement. At media day, he detailed his effort to bulk up and prepare his body for NBA play.
“I’ve definitely worked on my body a lot and that’s a big emphasis for me coming into this new league. The best athletes, the most strong individuals…I have definitely put in a lot of time into that part of my game.”
Fortunately for Scheierman, there are still three preseason games left for him to get comfortable before the outcomes actually begin to matter. Typically, the starters play less and less as the exhibition slate moves along, so there may even be more minutes for him to find his footing in the coming week or so.
Even if he doesn’t, it means nothing except that he needs some more time before playing regular-season rotation minutes.
Yeah — that was a given considering that Boston is bringing back just about everyone from the Banner 18 squad.
Let the aforementioned Carsen Edwards preseason 30-ball serve as a reminder that the preseason ultimately doesn’t mean much.
