In two months between the Las Vegas Summer League and the start of Celtics training camp, Baylor Scheierman spent a lot of time in the gym and the kitchen.
Scheierman, the Celtics’ top pick in the 2024 NBA Draft (30th overall), said he put on 10 to 15 pounds of lean muscle during the break to better prepare himself for the physicality of the professional game.
“That was a directive from [the team],” Scheierman said after Thursday’s practice. “That’s something that we sat down and talked about, things they wanted me to improve on, and that was something that they thought was important for me coming up to this level. And they’re very pleased at how I’ve progressed in that area.”
The 6-foot-6 wing has impressed in other areas, as well. Veteran sharpshooter Sam Hauser, whom Scheierman has leaned on for guidance as he begins his NBA career, praised his new teammate during Celtics media day.
“He’s a good shooter, but he’s a lot more than a shooter,” Hauser said. “He’s got a good feel for the game. He’s pretty crafty. The best thing I can do is just try to help him in this first year — help him with any opportunities he gets on the floor or if he gets opportunities in Maine, whatever that may be for him. I’m definitely going to have an open ear to him whenever he has questions or needs help or anything like that.
“But he’s a really good player. He has a good feel for things, and I think he has a good future in this league.”
Scheierman, who celebrated his 24th birthday on Thursday, excelled on the offensive end during his five collegiate seasons at South Dakota State and Creighton. He was an effective rebounder, too, leading the Big East in defensive boards last season. But he knows he won’t see the floor for the talent-laden Celtics if head coach Joe Mazzulla doesn’t trust him as a defender.
“Offensively, I feel very confident in myself being able to impact the game on the floor,” Scheierman said. “I know that in order for me to get minutes on the floor, it’s all going to come down the defense. So that’s where I’m trying to hang my hat on and just trying to get better every single day in that category.”
It’s too early to project what Scheierman’s role might look like this season, but Mazzulla saw encouraging improvements from the rookie on the second day of training camp.
“[He’s] physical,” the coach said. “I think Day 1, it’s very difficult to adjust to NBA defense. I thought from Day 1 to Day 2, he made the physical adjustment, and he had some great physical defensive plays today. So I think that’s the trajectory [you want]. Any young player coming into it, the most important thing is: Can you play defense, can you execute a defensive system and can you rebound? And he got better at that from Day 1.”
