The Celtics expanded their championship team with the addition of another shooter.
It should come as no surprise that the Boston Celtics selected another shooter in the 2024 NBA Draft, given they were the team that used the 3-pointer the most during the previous year. The 23-year-old Creighton University player Baylor Scheierman was selected by the Celtics with the 30th overall pick.
With five years of collegiate experience under his belt, the 6-foot-7 shooter has more experience than most rookies. He’s actually older than some of the current Celtics, such as guard Jaden Springer, point guard JD Davison, and forward Jordan Walsh.
It is advantageous to have a player with the maturity to manage the NBA’s learning curve, especially since Boston recently won a championship. Additionally, Scheierman is a superb shooter, which helps ease a rookie’s adjustment to the NBA.
Let’s examine the 2024 All-American’s resume and assign a grade to the Celtics’ first-round 2024 NBA Draft selection before he joins the Association.
Boston Celtics NBA Draft Pick for 2024
The native of Nebraska played his first three seasons as an NCAA eligible player at South Dakota State, where he rose to prominence gradually. Scheierman hit an amazing 46.9% from 3-point range and 50.8% from the field during his final season with the Jackrabbits.
He moved his skills to the Big East Conference and joined the Creighton Bluejays following that outstanding performance. Scheierman did a good job handling the transition from the Summit League to one of the most competitive conferences in college basketball.
In 2024, he made the first team of the Big East after winning the Summit League Player of the Year award in 2022. Among the other notable players on that outstanding Big East team were point guard Tyler Kolek, who is hoping to be selected in the second round this year, and guard Devin Carter, who was chosen 13th overall by the Sacramento Kings.
Scheierman averaged three to eight attempts per game while shooting 38.1% from deep during his senior year at Creighton. For the 2023–24 season, he also recorded a career-high 18.5 points, nine rebounds, and 3.9 assists.
Scheierman was primed for the spotlight of the Big East; he will now need to get ready for the NBA’s (and maybe the G-League’s) intense competition. With Joe Mazzulla, the head coach of the Boston Celtics, emphasizing winning the 3-point duel every game during his time in Beantown, his hot shooting will be crucial for Boston.
Scheierman will have a place in Beantown if he can maintain his strong long-range shooting. Just ask Sam Hauser, the current sharpshooter for the Celtics, who moved from being an undrafted rookie to an important member of a championship team.
Thanks to his 3-point shooting, Hauser was able to come off Boston’s bench, and Scheierman could do the same. In the NBA, defensive lapses are typically the downfall of shooters, but Hauser mainly overcome that.
Strangely enough, Scheierman and Hauser are almost exactly the same height and have to deal with some of the same scouting report queries. Is he able to defend at a higher level? Is he able to match the NBA’s speed?
The 2024 rookie’s career may very well depend on the answers to these issues. Nevertheless, Scheierman ought to have the means to succeed if Hauser could improve on that end of the court.
This is not to suggest that he will take Hauser’s place right now. Celtic’s third-year contract is $2.1 million.
Scheierman is a good pick regardless of what the Celtics decide to pay Hauser. As a 3-point shooter who can surround Celtics players Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, he fits in well with Boston’s offense.
Naturally, there aren’t many rookies talented enough to stick in the Celtics’ rotation. There won’t be much room for new players next season because Brown, guard Jrue Holiday, center Kristaps Porzingis, and other important players are returning. It was therefore unlikely that they would have an immediate effect on Boston, whoever was selected.
However, that does not imply that Scheierman is without promise. He might become a dangerous role player who is unavoidable to be left alone after the arc if his defense improves.
