The Boston Celtics have added two rookies this summer. Baylor Scheierman joined with the 30th pick, and Anton Watson was added to the roster with the 54th selection. Today, I want to focus on Scheierman and what he brings to the table. As a five-year collegiate product, he enters the NBA as a polished prospect with a high floor. However, he’s also entering one of the most challenging situations in the NBA regarding available minutes.
Scheierman could absorb the minutes Oshae Brissett commanded last season — assuming he doesn’t return for another run at a championship. He brings multiple NBA-ready skills to the table, which should ease his transition into the pros.
Spot Up Shooting
Last season, Scheierman took 293 three-point attempts, converting 38.2% of them. 119 of them came as a spot-up shooter, which is precisely what he can expect when/if he gets minutes for the Celtics. For reference, he converted 35.3% of his threes when spotting up, per Synergy. Overall, he has a 50.9 true shooting percentage as a spot-up shooter.
These are the motion actions Mazzulla likes his Celtics team to run. The encouraging part about this footage is that Scheierman was firmly in the mix as both the inbounder and screener and as the perimeter-scoring threat. I also liked that we’ve seen the Celtics run both plays (the inbounds and the secondary) throughout the season.
Here’s another example of Scheierman’s catch-and-shoot ability. This time, he is operating as the rip screener in a Spain pick-and-roll — another action we’ve seen Mazzulla consistently lean on.
The jump shot itself is smooth. It’s repeatable. And most importantly, it’s consistent. There’s a slight hitch just before his lefty release, but that doesn’t seem to affect the shot quality or the speed and fluidity of his motion. Still, if the Celtics coaching staff believes his mechanics could be improved, he’s in great hands to continue working on his perimeter jumper.
It’s also worth noting that all but five of Scheierman’s spot-up threes last season came without him needing to take a dribble. That’s a testament to his ability to find space when popping off screens or sinking/shaking to fill space around the three-point line. He does, however, have the early roots of a step back jumper in his bag if he needs to counter the defense.
Scheierman is more than just a perimeter spot-up threat, though. During his time with Creighton, he often fulfilled a point-forward role due to his ability to attack off the dribble. So, when defenses looked to close out on him or sagged too far off, he appeared more than comfortable to penetrate off the dribble and get to work in the mid-range.
The crux of Mazzulla’s offense is having the ability to penetrate on drives and then make reads as the defense rotates or adjusts. Scheierman is unlikely to be tasked with too much creation off the dribble — Boston has plenty of options in that department. Nevertheless, adding another talented shooter who can put the ball on the floor when needed is a boost to the second unit and a strong move away from a single-skill shooter that often sees their value dip during the postseason.
I like how Scheierman has the patience to wait for his defender to plant their feet before initiating his drive. Slight pump fakes, maybe some eye manipulation, and angling his body all help with selling a potential spot-up jumper, allowing him to trick his defender into planting their feet. He does this twice in the above clip; both times, he attacks off the dribble and gets the penetration he’s looking for.
As a five-year product, Scheierman plays with a control and pace that suit his style. He doesn’t appear to get sped up by the defense. His processing speed also appears to be quite high, which should endear him to Mazzulla’s .5 principle-based approach.
Movement Shooting
Throughout his final year with Creighton, Scheierman was used as a movement shooter off screening actions in 112 possessions, equating to 17.9% of his total offensive production. He shot 16-of-36 from 2-point range and 26-of-64 from deep, with a true shooting percentage of 55.8%.
This action may look familiar to you. Boston ran something similar during an end-of-game situation against the Indiana Pacers during the Eastern Conference Finals. Adding a rookie who can score out of set plays like this is great for the depth of talent on the bench, as it gives Mazzulla another option when players like Sam Hauser are struggling or are forced to sit out due to injury.
“I like watching Joe Ingles a lot, just how he plays,” Scheierman said. “I think that’s one guy I watched a lot growing up and just try to model my game after.”
Prime Joe Ingles is an interesting player comparison. At his best, Ingles was a dynamic scorer who could attack across all three levels but thrived as a floor-spacing forward. In truth, you can see some of his game in Scheierman, especially his off-ball movement and ability to create off the dribble.
Again, Scheierman comes off the stagger screen as part of Creighton’s floppy action, sees his defender has battled through the screens to stick with him, sells the pump fake, gets his man to plant his feet and then boom, he puts the ball on the floor and attacks off the bounce. He also does a great job of attacking his defender’s lead hip, forcing the defender to flip his angle before recovering after being beaten; this often gives the offensive player an extra split second to create separation and will be a key aspect of his success against NBA-level defenders.
We’ve seen Ingles succeed in actions like this throughout his career.
Scheierman likely had a size or strength advantage in college over most defenders. Seeing how his penetration scoring translates to the NBA level will be interesting. Nevertheless, it’s an encouraging aspect of his game and projects as an upgrade over Svi Mykhailiuk’s single-skill scoring. There’s a reason we’ve seen Sam Hauser start putting the ball on the floor when attacking closeouts in the last 12 months.
Pick and roll ball handler
Scheierman operated as the PnR ball-handler on 77 occasions last season, equating to 12.3% of his offensive possessions. He boasted a 72.3 TS% on those possessions, with most of his shots coming from two-point range.
He wasn’t Creighton’s primary initiator, but he was reliable when running the offense. Those opportunities are unlikely to exist with the Celtics unless Scheierman gets some on-ball reps during garbage time. Nevertheless, sometimes, utilizing a screen is more logical than attacking a close-out or shooting off the catch. While those moments will likely be fleeting, it’s worth taking a quick gander at what that could look like.
The Celtics offense will provide far more spacing for Scheierman. When he does get an opportunity to run the PnR, his first option will likely be to make a read and find an open shooter — that’s when we will get a better understanding on his passing skills and processing speed as a playmaker. Nevertheless, it’s nice to know he has that wrinkle in his toolbox and can lean into a different method of generating offense when the need arises.
Transition Scoring
Creighton liked to push the pace with Scheierman on the floor. He was part of 102 transition possession and shot 44.2% from 3-point range and 66.7% from 2-point range.
Interestingly, Scheierman split his offense between both wings and being the ball-handler tasked with pushing the pace. As a side note, Scheierman was much more effective when attacking on the right wing (regardless of play type), which gives him something to work on this summer if he wants to be a genuine threat off the bench.
Scheierman likes to push the pace in transition. He consistently found himself being one of the first players up the floor, or, attacked gaps and angles to position himself in to receive a pass into a scoring position.
The Celtics had 2,052 transition possessions last season, their second most utilized play type being spot-up shooting. Scheierman is coming from a system that emphasized running off misses and rebounds and is joining a franchise with a similar principle. His ability to play on or off-ball in these situations will be key to him earning minutes with the second unit.
As you can see in the clip above, as a cutter, Scheierman is capable of reading the defense, pinpointing space and attacking it. His body control allows him to finish around the rim without needing an exaggerated deceleration, and his frame is big enough to absorb contact when going up around the rim.
Of course, the rookie forward is also adept at scoring off the catch when sprinting the floor.
Scheierman’s perimeter scoring will be his meal ticket to legitimate rotation minutes next season. He could emerge as a potential steal in this year’s draft because he can score out of multiple situations against various defenses and has enough counters to be a genuine three-level scorer. He has the tools to be a serious bench-piece on the offensive end, especially if he’s empowered to play to his strengths and can use the incredible spacing around him.
Still, being reliable on the offensive end is only half the battle. If you want to earn — and keep — a spot in Mazzulla’s rotation, you’ve got to be a high-level defender capable of guarding multiple positions without being exposed on switches.
Defense
First, let’s start with some numbers.
Scheierman held his opponent to 21.1% shooting on the perimeter last season. Opposing shooters took a total of 90 threes against him, making 19 and missing 70. He also guarded 187 two-point attempts, allowing just 71 makes, meaning his opponents converted their interior shots at a 38% clip.
Both of those defensive shooting numbers are solid. Of course, defensive metrics are far harder to quantify. Defense is a team endeavor. There’s pressure coming from off-ball defenders via digs, rotations and switches. Still, Scheierman’s numbers are encouraging — especially when guarding the perimeter.
A larger portion of being successful on defense is about hustle and effort. If you give it your all on every possession, you’re going to be an impactful defender. Factor in Scheierman’s physical traits, such as his height, frame and wingspan, and he has the tools to be a reliable defensive presence.
The above clip is an encouraging peek into his defensive motor. He cuts toward the basket once the shot is in the air, boxing out the opposing big and gaining a dominant position to try and secure a rebound. When the ball is kicked back out onto the perimeter, he relocates to provide a shot contest. Furthermore, his mobility and hip flexibility are both on display in the above clip as he originally closes-out to the weak-side slot before re-locating to contest Dalton Knecht on the wing.
This action is a little different. Rather than showcasing his mobility in space when closing out, Scheierman shows that he can operate in a switch-based defense. He switches multiple actions, including the peel switch that puts him on Tyler Kolek, who winds up being the guy to the shot.
Scheierman found himself in three different positions in that one action. He never looked out of place or susceptible to being easily beaten.
More impressively, both clips so far have shown him guarding two guys who both made it in the NBA. He looked more than capable of dealing with them, too.
I do have some questions about Scheierman’s ability to defend in space, though — especially when working in isolation. Fortunately for the rookie, he will rarely find himself dealing with a high-level scoring option — at least in his rookie and likely his sophomore years. Still, if he does get put into a spot like that, the Celtics may need to send help if they want to protect the rim.
The final note I want to make is that Scheierman is a reliable rebounder. He averaged 9 boards per game last season and 7.8 throughout his collegiate career, with the vast majority coming on the defensive glass.
Mazzulla likes his team to control the tempo of games and shut down offenses as quickly as possible. Scheierman provides a high-level rebounder off the bench who can help control the tempo of the game while also providing an impact on both ends of the floor.
Summary
Scheierman is a smart pick-up with the 30th pick. He fits Boston’s style of play, is a proven three-level scorer and can defend multiple positions. His lengthy collegiate career means he’s entering the NBA as a polished product with a high floor but less room to take giant developmental strides.
The NBA’s new CBA makes it difficult for teams to round out their rosters when over the second tax apron. Hitting on late first-rounders gives a team more flexibility and cost-controlled production. If Scheierman can translate his game to the NBA when given opportunities to take to the court, he will be a big hit as a rotation piece.
“He’s done a good job with his body. He’s done a good job in the weight room. Always been super skilled, super smart and super tough. He’s a basketball player now; he knows how to play,” Stevens said when asked about Scheierman. “Getting his body to the level it’s been the last couple of years and the way it translated to his performance in the Big East is not a surprise. He’s got a lot of good things going for him.”
Scheierman’s biggest challenge will be cracking Mazzulla’s rotation. He must make every opportunity count and ensure he impresses during the offseason and whenever the team holds a practice. Still, I’m high on what Scheierman brings to the table; if it can translate, then the Celtics have a cost-effective option at their disposal for multiple years.
Bring on Summer League!
CelticsBlog graciously allowed this article to be cross-posted from my “Celtics Chronicle” newsletter.
