The Boston Celtics kept their first-round pick (No. 30 overall) in the 2024 NBA Draft and used it to select Creighton wing Baylor Scheierman.
Scheierman is a well-rounded player who averaged 18.5 points, nine rebounds and 3.9 assists per game, while shooting 38.1 percent from 3-point range and 87.6 percent from the free throw line at Creighton last season.
What's a good NBA player comp for Scheierman, and what can fans expect from the 6-foot-6 wing?
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"He's bigger and a little different, but Luke Kennard was also a high school quarterback and plays kind of similarly, so that's something fans at home can think about," Celtics assistant general manager Austin Ainge told NBC Sports Boston's Chris Forsberg on the Celtics Talk Podcast.
"We're excited about Baylor. He's tough. He's played at a high level, five years of college, he's 23. He's a grown man. He can play."
🔊 Celtics Talk: NBA Draft reaction: Hear from Celtics' 30th overall pick Baylor Scheierman and exclusive with Austin Ainge | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube
If Scheierman turns into Luke Kennard, that would be a pretty good outcome for a player drafted at the end of the first round.
Kennard was the No. 12 overall pick by the Detroit Pistons back in Jayson Tatum's draft in 2017. The former Duke guard has shot an impressive 43.9 percent from 3-point range in his career. He averaged 11 points per game on 44.8 percent 3-point shooting off the bench for the Memphis Grizzlies this past season. Kennard is one of the best free throw shooters in the league, too.
If Scheierman shoots 40-plus percent from beyond the arc and is an adequate perimeter defender, he could be a valuable part of Boston's rotation at some point.
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Another aspect of Scheierman's development the Celtics liked is that he continued to get better each year in college. There was a steady trajectory of improvement.
"Everything got better," Ainge said. "It wasn't any one particular skill -- it all just kinda improved year by year by year, which is something we look at. If you plateau in college, that's not a great sign. But he's gone up and up."
Also in this episode:
- Evaluating the Celtics' two draft picks Scheierman and Watson
- Exclusive Interview with Austin Ainge
- Will Celtics be able to keep Sam Hauser on the roster next season?