PORTLAND, MAINE — To say that Baylor Scheierman has capitalized on the chance to start his skilled basketball profession with the Maine Celtics could be a large understatement.
Via 4 G League video games, the 6’6 ahead is averaging 23 factors on 51.6% taking pictures, hitting 46.5% of his three-point makes an attempt, and grabbing 9 rebounds per recreation.
And, above all, Scheierman is having a blast.
“It’s all nearly having fun with it,” he mentioned. “I don’t have a look at it as a demotion. It’s not a demotion. It’s a chance to play, and get reside reps, and get higher at your recreation in order that when your quantity known as in Boston, you’re able to go.”
In Maine, Scheierman is emulating the position that he’ll have for the Celtics. He’s coming off the bench simply to get within the behavior of it, and he isn’t usually the first initiator on offense.
It’s just like how the Celtics approached Jordan Walsh’s growth throughout his rookie season final yr; within the G League, Walsh performed the a part of a job participant, not a star. He prioritized protection, discovered the Celtics’ advanced coverages, and improved his perimeter taking pictures, reasonably than making an attempt to attain one-on-one.
Maine Celtics head coach Tyler Lashbrook, who was one of many Celtics’ participant growth coaches final season, mentioned that Scheierman has embraced the notion that Maine is a chance to simulate what a potential position would possibly appear to be in Boston.
That features studying methods to put together for coming off the bench, one thing he hasn’t executed a lot of in his basketball profession. On the courtroom, the workers desires him to concentrate on making the correct reads, prioritizing rebounding, and rising defensively.
“We’re replicating plenty of the stuff that he’s gonna do in Boston, by way of his pregame routine, and his rotations, and all that stuff that kind of will get you used to taking part in off the bench,” Lashbrook mentioned. “He’s been a soldier for it.”
Lashbrook has been impressed with Scheierman’s taking pictures and rebounding, two features of his recreation that had been highly-touted popping out of school. However above all, the top coach has appreciated the rookie’s effort.
“He’s a competitor, like I believe you guys noticed,” Lashbrook mentioned. “He competes always.”
Baylor Scheierman as much as 8 fast factors right here — this play completely captures his hustle. Will get his personal rebounds and hit the three.
Celtics assistant coach Matt Reynolds, sitting courtside with Joe Mazzulla, rises to his toes in applause pic.twitter.com/xnujdCqeAI
— Noa Dalzell (@NoaDalzell) November 17, 2024
The Creighton standout struggled offensively via the preseason, taking pictures simply 4 of 24 from the sector.
However, his confidence grew from recreation to recreation, and although he by no means discovered his footing offensively, he felt that every thing else improved.
“Each recreation within the preseason, I acquired higher by way of simply every thing else, apart from making pictures,” he mentioned. “I’m not making an attempt to overlook pictures — you’ll be able to’t actually management if pictures are moving into or not. I put in plenty of time in that a part of my recreation, so I’m not likely frightened about that. However defensively — after which simply offensively by way of spacing and crashing the glass — I believe every recreation within the preseason I acquired higher and higher.”
Scheierman is 24 years outdated. Followers usually count on gamers that age to be able to play NBA minutes from the bounce, however no matter age, Lashbrook mentioned that there’s a studying curve that just about all gamers observe.
“The fact is, the way in which that the NBA goes is totally different than something they’ve ever seen earlier than,” Lashbrook mentioned. “The opposite factor that finally ends up occurring, is older guys — or older youthful gamers — nonetheless have plenty of room to develop. I believe that always will get neglected.”
Scheierman hopes to observe the trail that Sam Hauser, others have paved
Within the Celtics group, there’s a transparent blueprint for methods to benefit from time spent within the G League. Neemias Queta, Jordan Walsh, Sam Hauser, and Luke Kornet had been all at one level primarily taking part in for the Maine Celtics. Now, all of these guys play key roles for the Celtics.
Hauser, who went undrafted in 2021, was arguably the Celtics’ most essential bench participant throughout the 2024 championship run. Queta has been spot beginning this season, Walsh has earned early-season perimeter minutes, and Kornet has established himself as an impactful NBA middle.
Lashbrook mentioned that the teaching workers highlights all of these success tales to the Maine Celtics gamers.
“We do a factor the place we attempt to research paths from all sorts of totally different guys, and kind of present them that it’s attainable,” Lashbrook mentioned. “We undergo every of these guys.”
Scheierman has been chatting with all of these gamers, and so they’ve urged him to embrace the chance to get prolonged minutes and touches.
“That was type of the general message from all these guys,” he mentioned.
Hauser — who averaged 20.2 factors per recreation throughout his G League tenure — signed a four-year, $45 million contract this previous offseason after a breakout season, and is well-known as of one of many franchise’s nice growth tales.
Hauser’s message to Baylor Scheierman forward of his G League debut?
“Be your self. Let it fly. Have enjoyable.”
Sam Hauser’s recommendation to Baylor Scheierman, who will make his Maine Celtics debut right now:
“Be your self. Let it fly. Have enjoyable. It’s at all times enjoyable if you get to play.” pic.twitter.com/kydtpPNB4U
— Noa Dalzell (@NoaDalzell) November 8, 2024
Scheierman went on to blow up for 31 factors on 12-21 taking pictures in his first G League recreation.
“It’s simply enjoyable to play,” Scheierman mentioned. “I actually take pleasure in being up right here. I actually benefit from the workforce. We simply play the correct manner.”
Tyler Lashbrook mentioned that as quickly as Scheierman reported to Maine, the workers defined to him what his pathway towards changing into knowledgeable might appear to be.
“Day one, that was one of many first issues that we talked about,” Lashbrook mentioned. “There’s a imaginative and prescient right here, and that is kind of what it seems like. We gave him that speak instantly.”
The Celtics teaching workers comes out to assist in Maine
The complete Celtics teaching workers — together with Joe Mazzulla — attended Sunday’s recreation on the Portland Expo, sitting courtside because the Maine Celtics acquired their second win of the season.
Joe Mazzulla, who served as an assistant coach for the Maine Crimson Claws in 2016, mentioned that he enjoys the chance to assist the G League membership — and that he preferred what he noticed from the Maine gamers. Alongside Scheierman, all three of the Celtics’ two-ways — JD Davison, Anton Watson, and Drew Peterson — performed.
“I believed there was an amazing connectivity between the workers and the gamers,” Mazzulla mentioned.
The Celtics’ schedule oftentimes conflicts with Maine, however on this occasion, it labored out. Mazzulla sat along with his spouse, Camai, and son, Manny, as Maine pulled away with a 118-100 victory over the Westchester Knicks.
“It’s a chance to go and assist, and to verify there’s alignment between everybody — that we’re all on the identical web page,” Mazzulla mentioned.
Scheierman mentioned that the Boston teaching workers’s courtside presence didn’t add further nerves or change the way in which he approached the sport.
However, it did spotlight the unwavering synergy between the 2 organizations.
“It means so much that they’re right here,” Scheierman mentioned. “[It shows] this issues.”
