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Celtics-Heat Summer League Takeaways: Scheierman Delivers Solid Debut Originally appeared in NBC Sports Boston
Baylor Scheierman’s first game in a Boston Celtics uniform is over, and it was an eventful game for The 30th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Scheierman missed his first three 3-point attempts in Boston’s NBA Summer League opener Saturday night, but shook off the rust to finish with 13 points on 4-of-9 shooting (3-of-7 from 3-point range) in the Celtics’ 119-114 loss to the Miami Heat at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
Jaden Springer led Boston with 23 points, while Neemias Queta added 20 points and nine rebounds and JD Davison chipped in with 19 points.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. (game-high 29 points) stood out for Miami, while Josh Christopher (20 points) and Kel’el Ware (17 points) also put in strong performances.
The Celtics’ next Summer League game The game is Monday night against Bronny James and the Los Angeles Lakers (10:30 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Boston), but before that matchup, here are three takeaways from the C’s first of four games in Las Vegas:
Baylor Scheierman finishes strong
Scheierman’s best attribute is his outside shot, but what he showed most early on was his playmaking ability.
Despite failing to hit a shot on three occasions in the first quarter, the Creighton product found other ways to impact the game with a pair of assists in the opening minutes, including this nice pass to fellow rookie Anton Watson for a layup:
Scheierman finally managed to score his first point in a Celtics uniform late in the second quarter, sinking a jumper from the free throw line.
The 6-foot-6 forward found his shooting rhythm in the second half, hitting three of his five three-point attempts to reach double digits.
Scheierman added six assists, five rebounds and a steal in a solid overall performance despite his early offensive struggles. If the 23-year-old continues to find ways to impact the game beyond his shooting, he could see some NBA minutes this season.
Jaden Springer brings spark
While the focus was on Scheierman, Springer was the Celtics’ best player in this game.
The 21-year-old guard, who Boston acquired from the Philadelphia 76ers in February, had 23 points on 8-of-15 shooting to go along with six assists and a pair of steals. He helped Neemias Queta get going early by finding the center with a nifty pass for an easy dunk, then made an acrobatic play to sink a jump shot in the second half.
Springer likely won’t see many minutes this season behind a backcourt of Jrue Holiday, Derrick White and Payton Pritchard, but he’s an encouraging long-term project who put on a good show in front of Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens on Saturday.
Neemias Queta active in painting
Queta might be the most experienced player on the Celtics’ Summer League roster, and he played like it in Game 1.
The fourth-year center brought energy to the paint on both ends, finishing with 20 points on 9-of-15 shooting along with nine rebounds (six offensive), two assists, one steal and one block.
Queta had some trouble finishing near the rim, but showed great rebounding and rim-protecting ability. He’s a player worth keeping an eye on early in the season, as head coach Joe Mazzulla could call him up alongside Kristaps Porzingis. He is expected to remain sidelined until November or December..
Anton Watson protects the rim
The Celtics’ second-round pick in 2024 He had a quieter night than Scheierman (eight points on 4-of-7 shooting with two rebounds, a steal and a block), but had an impressive highlight in the fourth quarter when he blocked a layup attempt by Jaquez:
Watson was a versatile defender at Gonzaga and lived up to that scouting report on Saturday. Watch highlights from the Celtics-Heat game below: