The Celtics really made a decide within the NBA draft, and he appears to be the proper match for the franchise.
Boston on Wednesday chosen Baylor Scheierman with the No. 30 decide within the 2024 NBA Draft. It was the primary time the C’s used a first-round decide since 2020, the 12 months Brad Stevens took over as president of basketball operations.
The 23-year-old was delighted to hitch a crew coming off an NBA championship, and there was constructive consensus amongst followers and analysts over the decide.
Scheierman, who turns 24 in September, was a standout in faculty, and he had an intriguing draft profile. It’s value noting that the five-year faculty participant was pretty identified by scouts having attended the G League Elite Camp in 2022 and withdrawing from the draft course of the identical 12 months and the 12 months after.
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The Nebraska native entered the pre-draft course of as a fringe first-round decide, however he had a robust exhibiting on the NBA mix the place ESPN’s Jonathan Givony referred to as him top-of-the-line gamers on the ground on Day 2.
What’s clear from scouts is that Scheierman was top-of-the-line shooters within the draft. He led the Huge East with 110 3-pointers and made 38% of them final season. ESPN’s Kevin Pelton highlighted his rebounding at Creighton, which was why he ranked the guard No. 21 on his prime 30 prospects with a 1.3 WARP projection. ESPN’s huge board had him at No. 27.
The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor described Scheierman as somebody who’s “shades of a giant Brandin Podziemski.” O’Connor highlighted Scheierman’s really feel for the sport and his pick-and-roll abilities that ought to give him added worth within the NBA. Nevertheless, the NBA analyst doesn’t view the Celtics draft decide as an important athlete and fears he is likely to be restricted defensively along with his ” heavy toes transferring laterally.” O’Connor and Givony had the Creighton product going twenty seventh in their closing mock drafts.
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Sam Vecenie of The Athletic was larger on Scheierman than consensus at No. 22 on his huge board however had comparable questions on his capability to be a dependable function participant.
“His protection is the large query,” Vecenie wrote in his evaluation of the Celtics’ decide. “Can he constantly chase and play in assist? Can he defend on the ball? It’ll all be about maximizing his body and physique and getting absolutely the most out of his quickness. I’ve a transparent first-round grade on him, although, given the significance of taking pictures at dimension in at the moment’s NBA.”
Stevens made it clear this week that anybody who will get drafted by Boston possible wouldn’t crack the rotation given the shortage of holes on the roster. However Scheierman might develop his sport in Maine and find yourself changing into a worth decide sooner or later.
