Celtics Rookie Scheierman Following Path of Elite Quarterbacks

Bobby Krivitsky | Sep 4, 2024

Mar 9, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Creighton Bluejays guard Baylor Scheierman (55) shoots over Villanova Wildcats guard TJ Bamba (0) in the first half at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images / Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Before starring at South Dakota State and then Creighton, Celtics rookie Baylor Scheierman wasn't just showcasing his talents on the hardwood. In 2018, he led Aurora High School to a Nebraska State Class C1 State Football championship, throwing for nearly 4,000 yards and a state-record 59 touchdowns.

"You ask him, he'll tell you he's a quarterback," Celtics' Summer League head coach D.J. MacLeay said about Scheierman during the Sin City C's stay in Las Vegas. "In general, you trust his ability to make decisions."

Baylor Scheierman won the Nebraska State Class C1 State Football title in 2018 🏈 pic.twitter.com/M2mt8pQhpY

— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) June 26, 2024

"I think it plays a big part," Scheierman told Boston Celtics on SI about the role that his time as a star signal caller played in his growth as a facilitator on the court. "Obviously, the quarterback in football, you have to know everything that's going on, on the field. You have to know what routes your receivers are running, you have to know what the defense is in, you have to know what routes beat certain defenses, and I think you have to know it all and it happens so fast. And I think basketball, obviously, it's kind of the same thing.

"And in terms of my playmaking, my ability to see the court and kind of anticipate things before it happens and then obviously my ability to deliver the ball on time and on target. And I think me playing football, it definitely helped me continue to develop that on the basketball court, for sure."

The First Team All-Big East selection is the first men's player in Division 1 history with at least 2,000 points (2,233), 1,000 rebounds (1,256), 500 steals (580), and 300 made threes (356). His 1,140 defensive rebounds are more than any player in the last 25 seasons.

Now, the 30th pick in this year's NBA draft is on a path similar to some of the best quarterbacks in NFL history.

From Patrick Mahomes to Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, and Johnny Unitas, the National Football League's pantheon includes many QBs who spent nearly all, and in some cases, their entire rookie season developing behind the scenes.

Joining the reigning NBA champions, who return 13 of the 15 players that helped Boston capture Banner 18 while on standard contracts, plus their two-way players from last season's title team, means that's likely what Scheierman's in store for in his first year in the Association, especially if Lonnie Walker IV's Exhibit 10 deal gets converted into a standard contract.

But as much as Scheierman wants to carve out a consistent role in the upcoming campaign, studying the game at basketball's highest level and working on his body while acclimating to the Celtics' system isn't to be viewed as a negative.

When he went through the pre-draft process coming out of South Dakota State, Brad Stevens and Co. were impressed with his game but "felt like I could get a little stronger, a little quicker, a little more explosive a couple (of) years go and that's kind of what I really tried to improve on these last two years at Creighton, and I feel like I did that, which kind of put me in the position to be where I am right now," shared Scheierman after Boston drafted him.

"He has done a good job in the weight room; he's always been super skilled, super smart, and super tough; he's a basketball player now," voiced Brad Stevens while discussing the decision to draft the six-foot-six sharpshooter. "He knows how to play."

So, just as working on his body and improving his physical and athletic attributes played an important role in Scheierman developing into a first-round pick, even if he doesn't get much playing time in his rookie campaign, his work behind the scenes this season could set himself up for long-term success in the NBA.

He can even look at the journey of new teammate Sam Hauser. After going undrafted out of the University of Virginia, he appeared in just 26 games, averaging 6.1 minutes of floor time in his first year with the Celtics. Two seasons later, he became a rotation fixture in the most talented top eight in the Association, helped Boston become champions, then signed a four-year, $45 million extension this summer.

Hauser and Scheierman both bring more to the table than the skill they're best known for, but with the former locked in for the long term, the two could form a potent sharpshooting combination off the Celtics' bench, even if that requires waiting past this season to see it come to fruition.

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