Baylor Scheierman: ‘Joe Ingles, I watched a lot growing up and just modeled my game after’

The Boston Celtics have added two rookies this summer. Baylor Scheierman joined with the 30th pick, and Anton Watson was added to the roster with the 54th selection. Today, I want to focus on Scheierman and what he brings to the table. As a five-year collegiate product, he enters the NBA as a polished prospect with a high floor. However, he’s also entering one of the most challenging situations in the NBA regarding available minutes.

Scheierman could absorb the minutes Oshae Brissett commanded last season — assuming he doesn’t return for another run at a championship. He brings multiple NBA-ready skills to the table, which should ease his transition into the pros.

Spot Up Shooting

Last season, Scheierman took 293 three-point attempts, converting 38.2% of them. 119 of them came as a spot-up shooter, which is precisely what he can expect when/if he gets minutes for the Celtics. For reference, he converted 35.3% of his threes when spotting up, per Synergy. Overall, he has a 50.9 true shooting percentage as a spot-up shooter.

These are the motion actions Mazzulla likes his Celtics team to run. The encouraging part about this footage is that Scheierman was firmly in the mix as both the inbounder and screener and as the perimeter-scoring threat. I also liked that we’ve seen the Celtics run both plays (the inbounds and the secondary) throughout the season.

Here’s another example of Scheierman’s catch-and-shoot ability. This time, he is operating as the rip screener in a Spain pick-and-roll — another action we’ve seen Mazzulla consistently lean on.

The jump shot itself is smooth. It’s repeatable. And most importantly, it’s consistent. There’s a slight hitch just before his lefty release, but that doesn’t seem to affect the shot quality or the speed and fluidity of his motion. Still, if the Celtics coaching staff believes his mechanics could be improved, he’s in great hands to continue working on his perimeter jumper.

It’s also worth noting that all but five of Scheierman’s spot-up threes last season came without him needing to take a dribble. That’s a testament to his ability to find space when popping off screens or sinking/shaking to fill space around the three-point line. He does, however, have the early roots of a step back jumper in his bag if he needs to counter the defense.