Welcome to Boston, Baylor Scheierman!

[Dogen]

Walsh hopefully can make some strides but if the Cs nail this draft it might be hard to find PT. He is 3.5 years younger than Baylor S and is cheaper and likely younger than whoever we draft in the first round.
He did get in 45 games this year and not all garbage time. He has looked really solid at times.
That said Baylor S is looking like he has moved above him in the PT ladder.

Baylor plays like he was THE GUY for four years of college across two different schools. There's a confidence that comes from that.

Walsh plays like a deer on stilts -- like he was a talented HS prospect who spent one year in college, one year in the G league, and still isn't sure how to make his mark.

I've been high on his potential -- Rodman-esque build, some impressive athleticism, and some intriguing hints of ability -- and would be happy for him to be back next year, but he hasn't been ready to take advantage of the opportunity this year, and may well be on the bubble this summer. I mean, I don't even remember Miles Norris' first name (had to look) and if he's cheaper, maybe he's just as likely to be useful next year?

I think the bolded is a really good observation.

Baylor was a bit hesitant to start but you can see he carries a level of confidence that he probably doesn't actually deserve (which is a good thing) and that's likely driven by that experience of being "the guy" for so long. You see it when he handles the ball as he clearly doesn't feel obligated to give it up and is happy to operate as the facilitator. For a rookie wing player that's and impressive level of confidence especially given who he's surrounded by.

Deer on stilts is a bit harsh on Walsh but it's also fairly apt. Again think you've hit the nail on the head in terms of the impact of his confidence level playing into that. Got pigeon-holed in college a bit (or at least that was the hope), immediately makes the jump to the NBA without having ever been "the guy" and not good enough overall to be that in the G League either. Now it feels like he's too on edge in his NBA minutes trying to prove himself / not mess up that you can see the lack of comfort/confidence which translates to poor play.

I think with Walsh you've got to give him a pretty long leash though. His price vs. potential is definitely worth keeping around being a 2nd round pick and a one and done college guy. He's young enough and inexperienced enough that you can still hope for significant improvements over the next 2 years without egregiously optimistic.

Considering the age difference between the two, I'm happy to give Walsh another year to get off the stilts. But Baylord's court awareness is light-years beyond. For their roles, they both tend to start a possession camping out in the corner while the primary ball handler makes the set.

Granted, sometimes Scheierman is in that point forward role to initiate, but generally, once the play is in motion but, Scheierman seems to have a nose for getting into the action. His court awareness is exceptional, quarterback-like even. He's got those eyes in the back of his head and is likely already one of the best on the team on finding opportunities on the floor.

Walsh may still find his role, but he's likely never going to have that instinct. He's more like JB, who has taken years working on finding fluidity. Walsh seems to concerned about trying to be in the right place at the right time. He just needs to get his role more internalized so he can be that disruptive athletic presence on both sides of the court without throwing off Joe's strategy. Currently, he looks a split second behind the action, whereas Scheierman, although slower of foot, is anticipating where the ball is going.

I'd like to see more of them together on the court as the regular season winds down, complimenting each other. As defenses learn that they can't slag off on Baylor, Walsh can be that cutter getting lob dunks from Baylor. Sort of like we see with Pritchard/Queta, Tatum/Kornet, Brown/Porzingis.

[cloverleaf]

Baylor plays like he was THE GUY for four years of college across two different schools. There's a confidence that comes from that.

Walsh plays like a deer on stilts -- like he was a talented HS prospect who spent one year in college, one year in the G league, and still isn't sure how to make his mark.

I've been high on his potential -- Rodman-esque build, some impressive athleticism, and some intriguing hints of ability -- and would be happy for him to be back next year, but he hasn't been ready to take advantage of the opportunity this year, and may well be on the bubble this summer. I mean, I don't even remember Miles Norris' first name (had to look) and if he's cheaper, maybe he's just as likely to be useful next year?

I think the bolded is a really good observation.

Baylor was a bit hesitant to start but you can see he carries a level of confidence that he probably doesn't actually deserve (which is a good thing) and that's likely driven by that experience of being "the guy" for so long. You see it when he handles the ball as he clearly doesn't feel obligated to give it up and is happy to operate as the facilitator. For a rookie wing player that's and impressive level of confidence especially given who he's surrounded by.

Deer on stilts is a bit harsh on Walsh but it's also fairly apt. Again think you've hit the nail on the head in terms of the impact of his confidence level playing into that. Got pigeon-holed in college a bit (or at least that was the hope), immediately makes the jump to the NBA without having ever been "the guy" and not good enough overall to be that in the G League either. Now it feels like he's too on edge in his NBA minutes trying to prove himself / not mess up that you can see the lack of comfort/confidence which translates to poor play.

I think with Walsh you've got to give him a pretty long leash though. His price vs. potential is definitely worth keeping around being a 2nd round pick and a one and done college guy. He's young enough and inexperienced enough that you can still hope for significant improvements over the next 2 years without egregiously optimistic.

Considering the age difference between the two, I'm happy to give Walsh another year to get off the stilts. But Baylord's court awareness is light-years beyond. For their roles, they both tend to start a possession camping out in the corner while the primary ball handler makes the set.

Granted, sometimes Scheierman is in that point forward role to initiate, but generally, once the play is in motion but, Scheierman seems to have a nose for getting into the action. His court awareness is exceptional, quarterback-like even. He's got those eyes in the back of his head and is likely already one of the best on the team on finding opportunities on the floor.

Walsh may still find his role, but he's likely never going to have that instinct. He's more like JB, who has taken years working on finding fluidity. Walsh seems to concerned about trying to be in the right place at the right time. He just needs to get his role more internalized so he can be that disruptive athletic presence on both sides of the court without throwing off Joe's strategy. Currently, he looks a split second behind the action, whereas Scheierman, although slower of foot, is anticipating where the ball is going.

I'd like to see more of them together on the court as the regular season winds down, complimenting each other. As defenses learn that they can't slag off on Baylor, Walsh can be that cutter getting lob dunks from Baylor. Sort of like we see with Pritchard/Queta, Tatum/Kornet, Brown/Porzingis.

Walsh, like Davison, needs to be tossed back into the lake for another year's growth. Scheierman is already good eats.

Also, I think some of Baylor's slow start comes from them trying to really limit and recast his game early on. After he showed what he can do in Maine, they relented and are letting him play more of his game.

[bisme37]

Read on Twitter

[djFan71]

Jay King has a terrific article on BS with a ton of quotes from Baylor, PP, and Mazzulla...

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6234809/2025/03/27/baylor-scheierman-celtics-rookie/

“I knew that when my opportunity came where I could get some extended minutes, I felt like I was going to be able to take advantage of that,” Scheierman said. “And I feel like that’s obviously what’s happened.”

“It’s hard,” Scheierman said, “because you want to play, but at the same time you have to have that perspective at the end of the day. Payton’s told me, and a lot of people have told me, it’s the people that can handle that and get through it that end up making it and that the people that can’t obviously don’t end up making it. So I think kind of having that perspective and just knowing that kind of really helps you just kind of battle through it and just be prepared whenever your number’s called.”

It's great that he has PP as a teammate who can talk him through waiting for his opportunity since PP himself went through it and is now thriving in his role.

“He played a lot his first year and then didn’t play a lot the next few years, so he’s kind of been through that mental battle,” Scheierman said. “And so he knows how it is and how it can weigh on someone and especially a competitor. And so I think hearing that from him really helped me put it into perspective that … I’m not the first person to be going through these things. There’s a lot of people that have gone through what I’ve gone through. And so just knowing that and having them there, it’s helped a lot.”

Baylor next year: "I forget Payton, is it this year or year 3 that I make my trade demand???"

[phincsfan]

Jay King has a terrific article on BS with a ton of quotes from Baylor, PP, and Mazzulla...

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6234809/2025/03/27/baylor-scheierman-celtics-rookie/

“I knew that when my opportunity came where I could get some extended minutes, I felt like I was going to be able to take advantage of that,” Scheierman said. “And I feel like that’s obviously what’s happened.”

“It’s hard,” Scheierman said, “because you want to play, but at the same time you have to have that perspective at the end of the day. Payton’s told me, and a lot of people have told me, it’s the people that can handle that and get through it that end up making it and that the people that can’t obviously don’t end up making it. So I think kind of having that perspective and just knowing that kind of really helps you just kind of battle through it and just be prepared whenever your number’s called.”

It's great that he has PP as a teammate who can talk him through waiting for his opportunity since PP himself went through it and is now thriving in his role.

“He played a lot his first year and then didn’t play a lot the next few years, so he’s kind of been through that mental battle,” Scheierman said. “And so he knows how it is and how it can weigh on someone and especially a competitor. And so I think hearing that from him really helped me put it into perspective that … I’m not the first person to be going through these things. There’s a lot of people that have gone through what I’ve gone through. And so just knowing that and having them there, it’s helped a lot.”

Baylor next year: "I forget Payton, is it this year or year 3 that I make my trade demand???"

PP "If you get traded to Houston, do it immediately"

[ConstableGeneva]

BS has already surpassed Davison, Walsh, Peterson, and Hauser in rookie minutes. He could actually surpass their combined totals since we expect some load management for main guys final week or so.

Rookies Under Stevens GM Era: Hauser (2021-22), Davison (2022-23), Walsh (2023-24), Peterson (2023-24), Watson (2024-25), Norris (2024-25), Scheierman (2024-25)

[shi-woo]

Love that this guy has gotten serious burn after the ASB, and that he's stepped up and taken control of his narrative. Some of us were worried about him, and I know I've been bemoaning not drafting Filipowski as a KP/AL replacement, but i'm starting to understand why we drafted this guy. He's clearly Hausers or Pritchards replacement once we have to shed some salary.

If's nice to see that Brad, unlike Ainge, actually drafts shooters that can shoot, and not just in theory. This guy reminds me of the player we were told RJ Hunter was going to be if you all can remember those days He looks a lot bigger than 6'6 in shoes out there, and his stroke looks solid. Passing looks solid, and I'm surprised at how effective he's been at crashing the glass, though in this new smaller NBA I guess I shouldn't.

I think he's a solid 6th man type, and a good spot starter when White/Brown sit next year. One thing that won't be overlooked, and why I think we drafted him, is we're essentially going to have the entirety of his prime locked up under contract for pennies on the dollar. As we make roster moves and trade off salary, I think having a guy ready to contribute at age 26/27 on a rookie contract is going to be huge.

[cloverleaf]

Scheierman now shooting better from 3 on the season than the Jays, Jrue or Al.

[playa-hater]

Scheierman is definitely on the upward trend. But the Idea of Rico replacing Hauser I don't like. Apples to Oranges for me. Hauser will be always the better catch and shoot sniper and better man to man defender. And Rico has definite play-making potential that Hauser will not ever have. And that is Fine. I want both because I believe both players can complement each other (and Tatum) so well.

[cl2117]

Scheierman is definitely on the upward trend. But the Idea of Rico replacing Hauser I don't like. Apples to Oranges for me. Hauser will be always the better catch and shoot sniper and better man to man defender. And Rico has definite play-making potential that Hauser will not ever have. And that is Fine. I want both because I believe both players can complement each other (and Tatum) so well.

I see Baylor as fitting more into Pritchard's role than Hauser's despite him being on the wing.

Sam is a pretty locked in 3&D guy. He's not out there dribbling much or holding onto the ball, it's either up for a shot or getting swung. Scheierman has a bit more point-forward in him. Still shooting the 3, but really comfortable handling it as well, including attacking off the dribble and just holding the ball and conducting the offense from the top of the key or the elbow. And then the defense is a bit tragic and he'll get hunted.

That fits more into PP's niche as a sub-par defender who hustles, but is a adequate ball-handler/passer who can set up the offense or play off ball when Tatum or Brown are at the helm with a particularly strong deep ball.

He's kind of the mid-way point between PP/Hauser and I think that still works as a bench unit when you overlay their abilities on a venn diagram (especially if we manage to find/develop a defensive anchor).

[ConstableGeneva]

2018-19 Jazz had Rubio, Ingles, and Korver play together. No reason why 2025-26 can't have Pritchard, Scheierman, and Hauser on the same team. Well, other than the financial considerations. Maybe a bit of defensive concerns whenever they share the floor.

[cl2117]

2018-19 Jazz had Rubio, Ingles, and Korver play together. No reason why 2025-26 can't have Pritchard, Scheierman, and Hauser on the same team. Well, other than the financial considerations. Maybe a bit of defensive concerns whenever they share the floor.

The Jazz had Rudy Gobert at the back line erasing easy mistakes, which makes that kind of trio infinitely more viable than without.

Pritchard and Scheierman is a tough pairing from that perspective. Both are going to get targeted and could get played off the court. Playing them together gives opposing teams a lot of scope to attack us. Hauser can certainly hold his own but he's not out there making up for other people's shortfalls/mistakes. So you've got two sub-par defenders and a standalone wing, they'll need a lot of support behind them to make that work. If you've got JT and KP out there with that trio, offensively you should be bombing away 1-5 with a respectable amount of rim protection. You can trade 3's for 2's all the way to the bank. If it's Kornet and Horford probably a different story.

That's the wildcard with these guys, they've all shown an ability to go crazy from three and shoot a team out of the gym. With passable or even slightly below average defense they can still run through teams if their shots are falling (especially against opposing bench units).

[cloverleaf]

So is he Mini Cooper or Skinny Luka?

[ConstableGeneva]

Watch on YouTube

[Parliament10]

2018-19 Jazz had Rubio, Ingles, and Korver play together. No reason why 2025-26 can't have Pritchard, Scheierman, and Hauser on the same team. Well, other than the financial considerations. Maybe a bit of defensive concerns whenever they share the floor.

The Jazz had Rudy Gobert at the back line erasing easy mistakes, which makes that kind of trio infinitely more viable than without.

Pritchard and Scheierman is a tough pairing from that perspective. Both are going to get targeted and could get played off the court. Playing them together gives opposing teams a lot of scope to attack us. Hauser can certainly hold his own but he's not out there making up for other people's shortfalls/mistakes. So you've got two sub-par defenders and a standalone wing, they'll need a lot of support behind them to make that work. If you've got JT and KP out there with that trio, offensively you should be bombing away 1-5 with a respectable amount of rim protection. You can trade 3's for 2's all the way to the bank. If it's Kornet and Horford probably a different story.

That's the wildcard with these guys, they've all shown an ability to go crazy from three and shoot a team out of the gym. With passable or even slightly below average defense they can still run through teams if their shots are falling (especially against opposing bench units).

Those 3 (Scheierman, Pritchard, Hauser) seem like good fill-ins. It just depends upon who's running with them.
I'd say KP, and someone else. They mostly just have to hold on, until the Starting Squad gets back out there.

[ConstableGeneva]

2018-19 Jazz had Rubio, Ingles, and Korver play together. No reason why 2025-26 can't have Pritchard, Scheierman, and Hauser on the same team. Well, other than the financial considerations. Maybe a bit of defensive concerns whenever they share the floor.

The Jazz had Rudy Gobert at the back line erasing easy mistakes, which makes that kind of trio infinitely more viable than without.

Pritchard and Scheierman is a tough pairing from that perspective. Both are going to get targeted and could get played off the court. Playing them together gives opposing teams a lot of scope to attack us. Hauser can certainly hold his own but he's not out there making up for other people's shortfalls/mistakes. So you've got two sub-par defenders and a standalone wing, they'll need a lot of support behind them to make that work. If you've got JT and KP out there with that trio, offensively you should be bombing away 1-5 with a respectable amount of rim protection. You can trade 3's for 2's all the way to the bank. If it's Kornet and Horford probably a different story.

That's the wildcard with these guys, they've all shown an ability to go crazy from three and shoot a team out of the gym. With passable or even slightly below average defense they can still run through teams if their shots are falling (especially against opposing bench units).

Those 3 (Scheierman, Pritchard, Hauser) seem like good fill-ins. It just depends upon who's running with them.
I'd say KP, and someone else. They mostly just have to hold on, until the Starting Squad gets back out there.

For over 1,000 possessions, a lineup with Tatum + Hauser & Pritchard has outscored opponents by 13.5 points per 100 possessions. I think given more reps and continued improvement on defense for Scheierman, Cs can live with a bench lineup with all 3. Doesn't mean you'll use them in the playoffs. C's can always mix and match those three with starters and better defenders. Point is, there's room and a need for all three on the same team esp considering how low their salaries are and how they've already built continuity with the team.

[Parliament10]

The Jazz had Rudy Gobert at the back line erasing easy mistakes, which makes that kind of trio infinitely more viable than without.

Pritchard and Scheierman is a tough pairing from that perspective. Both are going to get targeted and could get played off the court. Playing them together gives opposing teams a lot of scope to attack us. Hauser can certainly hold his own but he's not out there making up for other people's shortfalls/mistakes. So you've got two sub-par defenders and a standalone wing, they'll need a lot of support behind them to make that work. If you've got JT and KP out there with that trio, offensively you should be bombing away 1-5 with a respectable amount of rim protection. You can trade 3's for 2's all the way to the bank. If it's Kornet and Horford probably a different story.

That's the wildcard with these guys, they've all shown an ability to go crazy from three and shoot a team out of the gym. With passable or even slightly below average defense they can still run through teams if their shots are falling (especially against opposing bench units).

Those 3 (Scheierman, Pritchard, Hauser) seem like good fill-ins. It just depends upon who's running with them.
I'd say KP, and someone else. They mostly just have to hold on, until the Starting Squad gets back out there.

For over 1,000 possessions, a lineup with Tatum + Hauser & Pritchard has outscored opponents by 13.5 points per 100 possessions. I think given more reps and continued improvement on defense for Scheierman, Cs can live with a bench lineup with all 3. Doesn't mean you'll use them in the playoffs. C's can always mix and match those three with starters and better defenders. Point is, there's room and a need for all three on the same team esp considering how low their salaries are and how they've already built continuity with the team.

Agreed.
I'd like to see what those 3 can do, without JT. That would be big plus.
Probably have to wait until next year, for that.

[djFan71]

Those 3 (Scheierman, Pritchard, Hauser) seem like good fill-ins. It just depends upon who's running with them.
I'd say KP, and someone else. They mostly just have to hold on, until the Starting Squad gets back out there.

For over 1,000 possessions, a lineup with Tatum + Hauser & Pritchard has outscored opponents by 13.5 points per 100 possessions. I think given more reps and continued improvement on defense for Scheierman, Cs can live with a bench lineup with all 3. Doesn't mean you'll use them in the playoffs. C's can always mix and match those three with starters and better defenders. Point is, there's room and a need for all three on the same team esp considering how low their salaries are and how they've already built continuity with the team.

Agreed.
I'd like to see what those 3 can do, without JT. That would be big plus.
Probably have to wait until next year, for that.

I feel like we got that recently, iinm. Tres Leches, Baylor and DWhite lineup. Can't remember how long / how well it did.

[ConstableGeneva]

BS just needs 36 minutes in the last 4 games to match the COMBINED minutes of all Celtics rookies in the GM Stevens era (after 2020-21).

[Curmudgeon]

Well, he stolen most of Jordan Walsh's minutes.