Boston Celtics
“Scheierman?Who he play for?” O’Neal asked.
Baylor Scheierman AP Photo/David Richard
-
Paul Pierce tells Celtics fans to keep expectations in check over Jayson Tatum’s return
-
Patriots free agency live updates: Pats lose Tonga, Lowe
Baylor Scheierman is in his second season playing for the Celtics, but, apparently, ESPN’s Shaquille O’Neal wasn’t sure who Scheierman is until he saw highlights of the Celtics’ win against the Cavaliers.
“I don’t even know who this kid is,” O’Neal said during a recent episode of Inside the NBA. “I ain’t ever letting nobody named Baylor or Scheierman score on me. “Scheierman? Who he play for?”
Scheierman was a first-round pick in 2024. He has played in 59 games for Boston this season, making 16 starts during Jayson Tatum‘s absence. He posted a 16-point, 10-rebound double-double on Sunday against the Cavs.
“He’s just another connector. He doesn’t care about starting, he doesn’t care about anything except competing. That doesn’t get awarded enough, is competing and care factor. He doesn’t care anything about competing at the highest level and executing,” Joe Mazzulla said of Scheierman after Sunday’s game.
“He takes a ton of pride in that. When you have a guy that doesn’t miss a beat regardless of the situation that he’s or the circumstances that he’s in, you kind of see stuff like that. I think he’s going a great job handling it.”
Scheierman suffered a thumb fracture last week, but it hasn’t caused him to miss time. He’s shooting 38.9 percent from 3-point range this season, scoring 4.8 points per game in 16.5 minutes per game. He is also averaging 3.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists.
The Celtics are two games into Tatum’s comeback, and, so far, Scheierman’s minutes haven’t dipped. He played 21 minutes against the Mavericks on Friday and 25 minutes against the Cavaliers on Sunday.
Tatum, who played 27 minutes in both games, said that he is on a minutes restriction.
“It’s been seamless, I would say,” Tatum said during a recent interview on NBC Sports Boston. “I’ve got such a great connection with most of the group. I’ve played with most of these guys for a long time. A bunch of high IQ players. The toughest part for me is just being on a minutes restriction, that [expletive] sucks, quite frankly.”
“That’s the toughest part, playing shorter stints and sitting for a longer time than I normally am, but I understand the bigger picture.”
The Celtics leaned on Scheierman, Jordan Walsh, and Hugo Gonzalez for help on the wings with Tatum out. The young trio has played three-fourths of the season without Tatum, allowing for more minutes than normal. Tatum made his return on Friday and will likely see his workload increase as he gets further along in the season.
The Celtics return to action Tuesday night against the Spurs. They’ll be back on ESPN Wednesday, March 18 when they host the Golden State Warriors.
Khari A. Thompson
Khari Thompson covers professional sports for Boston.com. Before joining the team in 2022, Khari covered college football for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss.
Get the latest Boston sports news
Receive updates on your favorite Boston teams, straight from our newsroom to your inbox.
