Baylor Scheierman's standout trait is his three-point marksmanship. At Summer League, that prowess has so far abandoned him.
The second-year wing opened the Boston Celtics' Sin City stint shooting 2/14, including 1/8 from beyond the arc, in a 92-78 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. Two days later, he went 6/15 [40 percent] from the field and 1/7 from three-point range in a 94-81 victory vs. the New York Knicks.
In the Celtics' 100-96 loss to the Miami Heat, Scheierman finished 7/19 [36.8 percent] from the floor. That includes fairing 4/13 [30.8 percent] on the triples he hoisted.
His struggles continued in Boston's most recent matchup, an 87-78 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. The former Creighton star went 2/14 and converted on only 2/11 threes launched.
"I practiced a lot for my career to get here, made a lot of shots in games," said Scheierman after the Celtics beat the Lakers to improve to 3-1 at Summer League. "It's just a slump that I'm in now. At the end of the day, [the] only way I'm going to get out of it is to keep shooting.”
Scheierman made it to the NBA as a first-round pick primarily on the strength of his shooting. An off week in Las Vegas is noteworthy. However, it's only a cause for concern if it continues in the preseason and into the start of the 2025-26 campaign.
What Baylor Scheierman showcased matters more
The second-year wing's shooting struggles haven't stopped him from shining elsewhere. He dished out a game-high six assists in Boston's victory over Los Angeles. That includes attacking downhill to create quality scoring chances for his teammates. He also grabbed five rebounds and swiped a steal.
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
“You just try to make other plays to impact the game," voiced Scheierman post-game. "I felt like I did that. My rebounding, my passing, and [my] defensive activity.
"Obviously, it's tough when you have a stretch like this, where you're not shooting it to the levels that you know you can shoot it, [but] at the same time, we're winning and I'm impacting winning in a positive way. My coaches and my teammates are encouraging me to keep shooting, and I’m not going to turn down open shots.”
The six-foot-six wing is best known for what he brings at the offensive end of the floor. That includes the former high school star quarterback's facilitating chops. However, during the regular season, Joe Mazzulla said the defensive end of the floor is the key to his path to playing time.
“[The] most important thing is being able to defend at a high level," Mazzulla conveyed before a Celtics' game against the Brooklyn Nets. "[The] second-most important thing is, can you make reads, and not just at the offensive end?"
When asked how he has grown in terms of winning with defensive positioning and anticipation, Scheierman told Hardwood Houdini after Boston beat LA, "I feel like I've grown a lot over the course of this last year in that area. Obviously, learning from guys like Sam [Hauser] who have become great at that, and I feel like I’m only getting better.”
Joe Mazzulla has pointed to Baylor Scheierman’s ability to make the right reads defensively as essential to him earning playing time.
— Bobby Krivitsky (@BobbyKrivitsky) July 18, 2025
I asked Scheierman how he’s grown in terms of winning with defensive positioning and anticipation.
“Learning from guys like Sam (Hauser) who… pic.twitter.com/TYZ7do4Sfj
Scheierman continuing to improve on defense is essential to successfully stepping into the expanded role waiting for him next season.