Looking at Baylor Scheierman's Potential Fit With Celtics Ahead of NBA Draft

Sam LaFrance | Jun 24, 2024

Mar 9, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Creighton Bluejays guard Baylor Scheierman (55) shoots against the Villanova Wildcats in the first half at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports / Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports

The Boston Celtics currently hold picks No. 30 and 55 in Wednesday's NBA Draft. After putting together a championship season, the Cs will be looking to find some new faces to bring to Boston.

According to HoopsHype's "Draft Workouts Tracker," the Celtics have invited 29 prospects in for pre-draft workouts, including Creighton senior Baylor Scheierman.

The draft experts over at No Ceilings NBA projected the Celtics to take a swing at him with their first-round pick in their latest mock draft.

Scheierman stands 6-foot-7 and weighs just over 200 pounds. He appeared in 35 games for the Blue Jays last season, averaging 18.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per appearance. The 23-year-old scored his points in efficient fashion, drilling 44.8% of his attempts from the field, and 38.1% from beyond the arc.

The Nebraska native seems like a great fit for Boston, especially with their roster being at an elite level. In fact, he has a very similar skill set to Sam Hauser, whose contract is set to expire after next season (unless he and the team negotiate an extension).

Many have compared the NBA hopeful to veteran forward Joe Ingles. The two actually have identical-looking jump shots.

Scheierman has proven to be a consistent threat from beyond the arc, even if he's a few steps behind the three-point line. His 38.3% clip from distance came with a high volume of attempts at 8.8 per game, which is always a positive.

When defenses aggressively close out on him, the swingman has proven that he's comfortable attacking off the dribble. He not only is able to create looks for himself, but also does a great job of finding his open teammates if the oppositions sends multiple bodies at him.

Though "The Ringer's" Kevin O'Connor called him, "solid defender who puts in excellent effort and plays attentively," Scheierman still has room to grow on the defensive side of the ball. He needs to improve his lateral quickness if he has any hopes of slowing down NBA wings.

It's not hard to see why Boston has interest in Scheierman, but he isn't someone who seems ready to jump right in to the rotation -- at least not for the reigning champs.

Regardless, landing him with the 30th pick would be good value for the Celtics. It feels like they'd be getting a development project who could play real minutes sometime down the line.