Celtics Fans Will Love This Story About Draft Pick Baylor Scheierman

Brad Stevens earlier this week made it clear that any 2024 Celtics draft pick would have little chance of cracking Boston’s rotation in the upcoming season.

But when Baylor Scheierman starts to work with Boston, he probably isn’t going to accept the fate of being on the outside looking in.

The Celtics on Wednesday used a first-round pick for the first time since 2020 and took Scheierman at No. 30 overall. The Creighton product has been heralded for his lights-out shooting and floor-spacing, but a certain intangible might prove to be his most important asset.

“In fifth grade, the gym teacher had a parent-teacher conference, sat down with the family and said, ‘He’s too competitive,'” ESPN’s Kevin Neghandi said of Scheierman during the network’s first-round draft coverage.

Scheierman does have a few factors working in his favor ahead of his rookie season. After five college seasons, the 23-year-old probably was one of the more NBA-ready prospects in this year’s class. And with Kristaps Porzingis potentially sidelined until Christmas, Joe Mazzulla and company might lean on smaller lineups.

Are the odds still stacked against Scheierman? Absolutely. But it sounds like he’s coming to make it as difficult as possible for Celtics coaches to keep him off the TD Garden floor.