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.
By means of 4 G League video games, the 6’6 ahead is averaging 23 factors on 51.6% capturing, 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 stated. “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 improvement throughout his rookie season final 12 months; within the G League, Walsh performed the a part of a task participant, not a star. He prioritized protection, discovered the Celtics’ advanced coverages, and improved his perimeter capturing, reasonably than making an attempt to attain one-on-one.
Maine Celtics head coach Tyler Lashbrook, who was one of many Celtics’ participant improvement coaches final season, stated 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 put together for coming off the bench, one thing he hasn’t achieved a lot of in his basketball profession. On the courtroom, the workers desires him to deal with making the best reads, prioritizing rebounding, and rising defensively.
“We’re replicating a number of the stuff that he’s gonna do in Boston, when it comes to his pregame routine, and his rotations, and all that stuff that form of will get you used to enjoying off the bench,” Lashbrook stated. “He’s been a soldier for it.”
Lashbrook has been impressed with Scheierman’s capturing and rebounding, two points of his recreation that had been highly-touted popping out of faculty. However above all, the top coach has appreciated the rookie’s effort.
“He’s a competitor, like I believe you guys noticed,” Lashbrook stated. “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, capturing 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 all the pieces else improved.
“Each recreation within the preseason, I obtained higher when it comes to simply all the pieces else, in addition to making pictures,” he stated. “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 a number of time in that a part of my recreation, so I’m probably not frightened about that. However defensively — after which simply offensively when it comes to spacing and crashing the glass — I believe every recreation within the preseason I obtained 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 stated that there’s a studying curve that just about all gamers observe.
“The fact is, the best way that the NBA goes is completely different than something they’ve ever seen earlier than,” Lashbrook stated. “The opposite factor that finally ends up taking place, is older guys — or older youthful gamers — nonetheless have a number of room to develop. I believe that usually will get missed.”
Scheierman hopes to observe the trail that Sam Hauser, others have paved
Within the Celtics group, there’s a transparent blueprint for benefit from time spent within the G League. Neemias Queta, Jordan Walsh, Sam Hauser, and Luke Kornet had been all at one level primarily enjoying 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 necessary 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 stated 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 completely different guys, and form of present them that it’s potential,” Lashbrook stated. “We undergo every of these guys.”
Scheierman has been chatting with all of these gamers, they usually’ve urged him to embrace the chance to get prolonged minutes and touches.
“That was form of the general message from all these guys,” he stated.
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 improvement 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 as we speak:
“Be your self. Let it fly. Have enjoyable. It’s at all times enjoyable once 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 capturing in his first G League recreation.
“It’s simply enjoyable to play,” Scheierman stated. “I actually get pleasure from being up right here. I actually benefit from the crew. We simply play the best method.”
Tyler Lashbrook stated that as quickly as Scheierman reported to Maine, the workers defined to him what his pathway towards turning into knowledgeable might appear to be.
“Day one, that was one of many first issues that we talked about,” Lashbrook stated. “There’s a imaginative and prescient right here, and that is form of what it appears to be like like. We gave him that discuss instantly.”
The Celtics teaching workers comes out to help in Maine
All the Celtics teaching workers — together with Joe Mazzulla — attended Sunday’s recreation on the Portland Expo, sitting courtside because the Maine Celtics obtained their second win of the season.
Joe Mazzulla, who served as an assistant coach for the Maine Crimson Claws in 2016, stated that he enjoys the chance to help 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 stated.
The Celtics’ schedule oftentimes conflicts with Maine, however on this occasion, it labored out. Mazzulla sat together 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 help, and to verify there’s alignment between everybody — that we’re all on the identical web page,” Mazzulla stated.
Scheierman stated that the Boston teaching workers’s courtside presence didn’t add additional nerves or change the best way he approached the sport.
However, it did spotlight the unwavering synergy between the 2 organizations.
“It means quite a bit that they’re right here,” Scheierman stated. “[It shows] this issues.”
