Celtics assistant GM gives NBA player comp to Baylor Scheierman originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The Boston Celtics kept their first-round pick (No. 30 overall) in the 2024 NBA Draft and used it to select Creighton wing Baylor Scheierman.
Scheierman is a versatile player who averaged 18.5 points, nine rebounds and 3.9 assists per game while shooting 38.1 percent from 3-point range and 87.6 percent from the free-throw line last season at Creighton.
What is a good NBA player composition for Scheierman, and what can fans expect from the 6-foot-1 wing?
“He’s bigger and a little different, but Luke Kennard was also a high school quarterback and plays pretty much the same, so that’s something fans at home can think about,” Celtics assistant general manager Austin Ainge told Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston. Celtics Conversations Podcast.
“We’re excited about Baylor. He’s tough. He’s played at a high level, he’s been in college for five years, he’s 23. He’s a grown man. He can play.”
🔊 Celtics Talk: NBA Draft Reaction: Hear from Celtics’ 30th Overall Pick Baylor Scheierman & Exclusive with Austin Ainge | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube
If Scheierman turns into Luke Kennard, that would be a pretty good outcome for a player drafted late in the first round.
Kennard was the No. 12 overall pick by the Detroit Pistons in Jayson Tatum’s 2017 draft. The former Duke guard has shot an impressive 43.9 percent from 3-point range in his career. He averaged 11 points per game on 44.8 percent three-point shooting off the bench for the Memphis Grizzlies last season. Kennard is also one of the best free throw shooters in the league.
If Scheierman shoots better than 40 percent from beyond the arc and is an adequate perimeter defender, he could be a valuable part of Boston’s rotation at some point.
Another aspect of Scheierman’s development that the Celtics liked is that he improved each year in college. There was a steady trajectory of improvement.
“Everything got better,” Ainge said. “It wasn’t a specific skill – it all improved year on year, and that’s something we’re looking at. If you hit a plateau in college, that’s not a good sign. But he’s gotten better and better.”
Also in this episode:
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Evaluating the Celtics’ two draft picks, Scheierman and Watson
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Exclusive interview with Austin Ainge
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Can Celtics Keep Sam Hauser on the Roster Next Season?
