The Celtics have minutes to hand out on the wing this season, and Baylor Scheierman is right in the middle of the fight for them.
That opportunity is opening up for a couple of reasons. Paul George is expected to miss a fair amount of time by design, and probably more because of circumstance.
Jayson Tatum, meanwhile, will need to lean into load management as he adjusts to life after an Achilles injury. With that kind of runway, Boston’s reserve wings are going to matter.
Scheierman is one of the players hoping to seize that opening. Alongside Jordan Walsh and Hugo Gonzalez, he represents a big piece of Boston’s response to the Jaylen Brown trade. At least one of those wings, and more likely two, will need to take a clear step forward if the Celtics are going to outplay expectations and feel good about the direction they’re heading.
Among that trio, Scheierman is the most polished right now. Walsh brings energy and unpredictability.
Gonzalez brings long-term upside. Scheierman, though, arrives as the most complete and mature basketball player of the group, even if he’s still just entering his third NBA season while carrying the profile of a much older pro.
He also plays with plenty of personality. The floppy mullet, the trash talk, the little celebrations after injuries - Scheierman brings a clear swagger every time he steps on the floor. Confidence has never looked like a problem for him.
The trick is knowing when that confidence turns into too much heat. Scheierman has a habit of riding the emotional swings of a game.
If there’s a momentum shot to be taken, he’s likely to take it. He won’t back down from the moment, but the next step is proving he can meet those moments as often as he believes he can.
That’s not a reason to rein him in completely. It’s just part of the growth curve. His energy is part of what makes him useful, but reading the game a little cleaner is the obvious next ask.
When things aren’t running at a fever pitch, Scheierman gives Boston a useful blend of shooting and playmaking. That’s a big reason he earned 20 starts last regular season.
The winner of these wing minutes is going to need to be the most reliable shooter and the smartest decision-maker with the ball. Scheierman has a real chance to check both boxes.
In his exit interview in May, he laid out the areas he wants to sharpen. “[I want to improve] my ability to create for others and read the game, and be a secondary or third playmaker, coming off a screen or coming off a pin-down, things like that,” Scheierman said. “And then continue to work on finishing at the rim … Floaters, and slow steps, and finding angles.”
That finishing piece is the clearest weakness. Last season, Scheierman shot 77.3% within three feet of the rim, which ranked 11th on the team and sat 10 percentage points behind Sam Hauser. From three to 10 feet, he connected on 45.2%, which was 13% behind Payton Pritchard.
From deep, though, he was excellent. Scheierman finished second on the Celtics in three-point shooting at 39.9%, trailing only Luka Garza. His corner work was especially sharp, with a 49.4% mark from the corners that was second only to Pritchard’s 52.4%.
The rest of his game is solid enough, with rebounding, passing, and defense all landing somewhere between above average and adequate, though each still has room to grow. Defense is probably the most obvious place to keep climbing. He’s been okay on that end, but quicker lateral movement would help a lot, and that’s one of the improvements he specifically wants to make.
That’s where the real battle sits. Gonzalez still has time to develop into himself as an NBA player.
If Boston is treating him the way Brad Stevens has described, then Scheierman can be the wing of the moment. Walsh’s calling card is defense.
Scheierman has the more natural offensive feel and, for now, checks more overall boxes.
“I've always prided myself in being able to impact the game in about every area,” he said. “I think that's who I am and who I want to be in this league; is just being able to impact the game in whatever way necessary.”
What Boston gets from him this season should be a familiar mix: good shooting, the occasional eye-catching pass, some solid rebounding, and defense that is good enough to stay on the floor. The bigger question is how far those traits can stretch.
If Scheierman sharpens the edges of his game, he can become a real rotation piece. If not, the Celtics may be left sorting through their wings night by night.
“I have a long ways to go,” Scheierman said before heading into the summer. “I'm excited to get after it this offseason.”
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