Much of the focus from Baylor Scheierman's second year at Summer League was on his shot. The numbers were ugly, and he'd be the first to admit that.
He averaged 15.5 field goal attempts and converted on only 27.4 percent. Those mostly came from beyond the arc. Scheierman launched 9.8 threes and only saw 20.5 percent splash through the net.
Baylor Scheierman on making a positive impact even when he’s not shooting well:
— Bobby Krivitsky (@BobbyKrivitsky) July 18, 2025
“You just try to make other plays to impact the game. Obviously, I felt like I did that. My rebounding, my passing, defensive activity.”
“My coaches and my teammates are encouraging me to keep… pic.twitter.com/hyxmghpU3x
"Obviously, it's tough when you're having a stretch like this, where you're not shooting to the level you know you can shoot it," Scheierman acknowledged after the Boston Celtics' 87-78 win over the Los Angeles Lakers in Las Vegas.
However, Boston's first-round pick from a year ago made his mark in plenty of other areas. He dished out 6.8 assists per contest in Sin City, placing him in the top five in that category, per NBA.com. He grabbed 5.3 rebounds, swiped 2.3 steals, and demonstrated sound positional defense.
As the Celtics conveyed to Keith Smith of Spotrac, even focusing solely on Scheierman's shooting splits overlooks critical context.
A member of the team's coaching staff told Smith they're "not worried at all about the shooting. He took more self-created shots out here [Las Vegas] than his entire rookie year. That won't be his thing in the league…yet. We think he can get there. What was really exciting for us was his defense, his passing, and his rebounding. That's all the connective stuff we drafted him to do."
Baylor Scheierman shares where his game has grown the most
As the Celtics' stay in Las Vegas was winding down, the six-foot-six wing detailed to Hardwood Houdini the area in which he has made the most progress since his rookie season ended.
I asked Baylor Scheierman where he feels like his game has grown the most since the season ended.
— Bobby Krivitsky (@BobbyKrivitsky) July 19, 2025
“I’d say defensively, especially on-ball, being able to press…It’s something that I’ve worked a lot on in the weight room and then just on the court as well, different drills.… pic.twitter.com/ZKQiNhnMAs
"I'd say defensively, especially on-ball, being able to press," said Scheierman. "It's something that I've worked a lot on in the weight room and then just on the court as well, different drills. And then obviously, my facilitating, being able to playmake and stuff like that, I think that's always been there, but I'm taking it to a new level this offseason."
Entering his second year in the NBA, the former Creighton star has a chance to become a rotation fixture for a team in line for a gap year while Jayson Tatum recovers from a torn Achilles.
His development on the defensive end is paramount to maximizing the opportunity in front of him.
Before a regular-season tilt against the Brooklyn Nets, Joe Mazzulla said about Scheierman, "[The] most important thing is being able to defend at a high level. [The] second-most important thing is, can you make reads, and not just at the offensive end?"
His ability to win with anticipation on defense while showcasing the benefits of his work in the weight room is crucial. His comfort handling the ball and his growth as a facilitator will also go a long way for a Boston team needing a boost on those fronts.
And after utilizing Summer League to work on creating more shots for himself, fans should feel confident about the lifelong sharpshooter returning to form. He'll be hoisting fewer of those looks and more from feeding off others.
Even without a higher conversation rate, what happened in Sin City was the product of a player who utilized his time there efficiently, striking a balance between working within the confines of his regular-season role while also growing his game.