Boston moved to 53-19 on the season with a win over the Sacramento Kings on Monday. Rookie Baylor Scheierman was called upon once again for extended minutes, and he delivered with a handful of 3’s and this slick strip and behind-the-back dime to Payton Pritchard:
Boston has ten games left to close out their regular season. Health and conditioning are two things that will assuredly be prioritized, but continuing to develop Baylor Scheierman should be at the top of the list as well.
This doesn’t mean he’ll be a member of the playoff rotation—though it wouldn’t be too surprising if Joe Mazzulla threw him into the fire—but because getting a real look at what he’s capable of, and allowing him to continue gaining confidence is important for the future.
The unavoidable conversation of salary trimming decisions has only been intensified by the confirmed sale of the team. Scheierman’s guaranteed $2.6M contract next season could become incredibly valuable if he’s able to continue to build on his current progress.
In the first 15 games that Baylor appeared in, he chipped in 12 total points, shooting 4/24 from the field and 1/15 from deep. In March, he’s blown past those figures, scoring 53 points across seven games, and knocking down 15/32 (47%) of his 3-point attempts.
This is a pretty stunning turnaround for a player that looked uncomfortable and out of place early on. He now seems accustomed to both the speed and physicality of the NBA. The game hasn’t just slowed down for him — he’s been able to speed up.
The three ball is the biggest selling point for Scheierman, but his rebounding and passing instincts are less common traits for a marksman. He has a nose for the ball, and is more than willing to dive on the floor and do the little things that may not jump off the screen, but will certainly catch the coach’s eye.
You can bet that Mazzulla was happy to see Baylor put a body on 7-footer Donovan Clingan to secure the defensive rebound.
Baylor is playing just under 20 minutes per game in the month of March, including consecutive games logging over 25 minutes. He is earning the trust that has been given to him. There’s not a lot of playing time to go around, but when Boston is short-handed, he’s proven himself as someone that can deliver when called on.
The Celtics aren’t limping to the finish line, but they aren’t exactly healthy either. Leaning on Scheierman affords them the ability to focus on rest, while also giving…
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