Celtics need Baylor Scheierman to keep building on what makes him dangerous

How does one follow up a breakout season? Last year's evolution showcased just how much Baylor Scheierman brings to the table. Now it's about scaling up.

He averaged 10.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.1 steals per 36 minutes in his second NBA campaign. Now, he needs his per-game production to translate to a stat line like that.

With Jaylen Brown gone -- his return to TD Garden is one of the dates fans need to know -- the Boston Celtics will ask more of the former Creighton star. After logging under 19 minutes per tilt in 2025-26, his playing time and usage rate are about to scale up.

What will Baylor Scheierman's role look like next season?

The Nebraska native is a perfect fit in head coach Joe Mazzulla's system. Offensively, he's a dynamic threat. He knocked down 39.9 percent of the 3.2 shots he hoisted from beyond the arc.

That includes 38.7 percent of his 2.5 catch-and-shoot 3-point attempts per game last season and 44.2 percent of his 0.7 pull-up 3s, per NBA Stats. That makes him a reliable kick-out option who can also bury shots off the bounce. And he can do so from long range.

He's comfortable making plays off the dribble for himself and his teammates. So, when the ball finds this former high school star quarterback, there's a trust in his ability to quickly make the right read and then execute, no matter what it calls for.

Scheierman isn't someone who should be bringing the rock up, but he can initiate offense. He also has the tools, including the cerebralness, to become a high-level connector. It's a role he's already quite good in. As is the theme for him in year 3, it's about scaling up.

The 6'6 wing is also an outstanding rebounder. Keeping the focus on the offensive glass for now, he extended 1.4 possessions per 36 minutes last season. He attacks the boards with ferocity and savvy, tracking where the ball will wind up. It's easy to see how his time on the gridiron shaped those traits.

Scheierman's skill set is built to thrive in his offensive role with the Celtics, where he is asked to be a 3-point threat -- as a spot-up option, off movement, and off the dribble -- who can make plays off the dribble, be a secondary creator, and generate extra possessions.

Baylor Scheierman's defensive outlook in the Celtics' rotation

Since the moment Boston drafted him, there has been trust in what he can do offensively and an emphasis on proving himself on defense. His physical transformation is why the most meaningful part of his breakout campaign occurred on that end.

It enabled him to effectively guard assignments ranging from Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun to Tyrese Maxey, Cade Cunningham, and Cooper Flagg.

He primarily wins with anticipation, but now has the physical tools and increased athleticism and quickness to stay in front against not just good perimeter players, but top scorers.

Changes to his physique have taken him from being off Creighton's radar in high school, despite growing up nearby, to becoming a point of pride for the Bluejays' men's basketball program. He helped lead them on a couple of deep NCAA Tournament runs, including a trip to the Elite 8. In the NBA, it has allowed Scheierman to earn and effectively handle guarding the most dangerous threats.

It's a physical maturation that continues this summer. That fuels an exciting outlook on how much he can continue growing on defense in 2026-27.

Underrated Scheierman trait is easy for Celtics fans to overlook

The former first-round pick is a savvy rebounder. His ability to limit opponents to one shot per possession is easy to take for granted. Perhaps the strongest testimony to his impact in that area came from Steve Merfeld. He's the assistant to the head coach for the Creighton men's basketball team.

"He was as good a defensive rebounder as I've ever been around," Merfeld told Hardwood Houdini in February while discussing what shaped Scheierman into who he is today.

What he saw stems from his advanced feel and high basketball IQ. That's still on display in the Association. Much like on offense, he throws himself into the fight for a rebound while reading where the ball is going. The result? 5.3 defensive rebounds per 36 minutes.

As his playing time and other responsibilities increase, he must continue making his presence felt on the defensive glass. His approach, often swooping in for the rebound, requires a lot of energy. However, his continued physical transformation should help him sustain those contributions.

Betting on Scheierman’s intangibles is paying off for the Celtics

What the organization and its fan base got to witness last season was that, no matter the situation, this is an individual who operates with an even-keeled and unflappable nature.

He relishes trash talk to the point that team trainer Drew Moore will chirp at him when he lets a shot fly in front of Boston's bench. Hostile environments don't rattle him either.

Where does that ability to be calm amongst chaos come from?

"I think it's kind of just something that I've always had, I think it kind of comes from my mom a little bit," Scheierman told Hardwood Houdini before going 7/8 and putting 20 points on the board at Madison Square Garden. "How she was, growing up with all of us, five kids in the house. And then, she's also a teacher, too. So, her ability to not ever get rattled, regardless of what's going on. So, I give her a lot of credit, too.

"But yeah, basketball is obviously a long game, and there's a lot of stuff that happens out there, and being able to view it in small components, instead of one big long game, allows you to move on from one play to the next. And when you're able to have that mindset, I think it just allows you to be able to play free and not really dwell on anything."

That mentality has helped Scheierman defy the odds at every turn in his basketball journey. It was essential to his breakout second season. And it's at the heart of why the Celtics can have confidence in how he'll respond to shouldering more responsibility this year.

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