BOSTON — Baylor Scheierman only knows one way: to play with an edge. To blow kisses after made baskets. To talk trash.
He just hasn’t always had the opportunity to show it. But, on Saturday, with the Celtics hosting the San Antonio Spurs in a primetime matchup between two of the NBA’s top teams, Scheierman got the (somewhat unexpected) call.
With the Celtics down both Josh Minott (ankle sprain) and Sam Hauser (hamstring tightness), the second-year Celtic tallied 10 points and 2 steals in 26 minutes off the bench. He hit two fourth-quarter threes, got a pivotal steal and dunk in the third, and ultimately posted his most minutes — and point total — since a win over the Detroit Pistons on November 26th.
It wasn’t enough to carry the Celtics over the finish line; the Spurs pulled off a 100-95 victory, headlined by an elite two-way performane from Victor Wembenyama. But, it still stood out as a promising development in a Celtics season heavily centered around player development.
Baylor Scheierman gets the Victor Wembenyama assignment
In place of Hauser, who had started straight games for the Celtics, Hugo Gonzalez got his first-ever start at TD Garden. But, the Celtics rookie played just 13 minutes. And, Jordan Walsh, who started the previous 20 games for Boston, was initially tasked with guarding Victor Wembenyama — but he was limited to just 13 minutes as well.
So, Scheierman ended up being the wing tasked with the Wemby defensive assignment. He ended up playing his second-most minutes of the season, and almost the entirety of the fourth quarter.
And, if you didn’t have the 6’6 Scheierman guarding the 7’7 Wemby on your bingo card, neither did he he.
“Had no idea,” Scheierman said when asked if he saw this kind of opportunity coming on Saturday. “Didn’t know if I was going to play tonight or not, and that’s kind of just how it is. My job is to be ready when my number is called and just try to go out there and impact the game in any way I could.”
So far this season, the Celtics forward has found a way to do that almost every night. He’s appeared in 33 of the team’s 38 games, sometimes playing just a couple of minutes, while other nights enjoying more extended run.
The counting stats don’t jump off the page; on the season, Scheierman is averaging 2.8 points in 11.6 minutes per game. But, albeit in small sample sizes, he’s been efficient in his minutes; he’s shooting 51.5% from the field and 43.4% from three on the year.
He’s also routinely drawn charges; among NBA players who have appeared in at least 25 games this season, Scheierman has averaged the fourth-most charges drawn per 36 minutes.
“Baylor can play basketball,” Jaylen Brown said earlier this season. “Baylor is a smart, high-IQ player, great passer, can hit shots — Baylor thinks and knows the game. He’s been putting it together.”
Baylor Scheierman makes an impact in limited minutes
Some players struggle to make an impact in such limited minutes, but that hasn’t been the case for Scheierman. Joe Mazzulla attributes that to his preparation and unwavering confidence.
“He works really hard, so he’s always prepared,” Mazzulla said. “His confidence never wavers — whether he plays well or whether he makes a mistake, his confidence in his ability to impact winning is always there, and that helps a lot. And he can make an impact regardless of how many minutes he plays.”
Scheierman agrees with Mazzulla’s assessment.
“It’s just kind of how I’m wired,” he said. “I have a bunch of confidence in myself that I can play at this level and impact the game — play against anybody, and regardless if I played tonight or not, or played yesterday or not, that confidence doesn’t change going into the next game.”
When Scheierman does check in, he almost immediately begins talking trash to the opposing team’s bench and blowing kisses toward the crowd.
If you’re wondering what he’s saying, Scheierman doesn’t have much for you.
“A whole lot of nothing,” he said. “Honestly, I’m really just getting myself hyped up. I love being out there and competing. And when things are going like that, I just like to have a lot of fun and just talk to whoever’s out there. That’s pretty much what it is.”
And, that’s how he’s always been.
“Going back to high school, college, and now here, I like to just play with a sort of flair on the court,” Scheierman said. “And, I like to bring a lot of energy into the game… I think it’s contagious, too.
With Scheierman on the floor, the Celtics outscored the Spurs by 3 points. After the loss, Mazzulla praised his timely rebounds and physicality, as well as his ability to space the floor.
Scheierman thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to be out there for the Celtics.
“[It was] so much fun — that’s why you play basketball, for environments like that, like this one,” he said. “And obviously the fans in the Garden were rocking the night, and it was a lot of fun.”
It ultimately wasn’t enough to carry the Celtics to victory over the Spurs.
But, it was enough to earn the praise of his Celtics teammates.
“He’s been amazing,” Derrick White said. “He’s always ready. It’s tough; you never know how many minutes or if he’s gonna play, but he’s always ready. And when he comes in, he just does a lot of things for us, and I feel like it’s always a positive segment when he’s out there with us. And so credit to him, credit to the coaching staff for always keeping him ready. I think it’s just that mindset that he has had.”
