Celtics Rookie Reveals Joe Mazzulla’s Harsh Message Ahead Of 2024-25 Campaign

Minutes were always going to be tough to come by for Baylor Scheierman in his rookie season with the Boston Celtics.

Thanks to head coach Joe Mazzulla, it didn’t take Scheierman long to figure out where he stood in his new team’s rotation.

Scheierman was selected by the Celtics with the No. 30 overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft. However, with the team having just won the 2024 NBA Finals, and virtually the entire squad returning for the 2024-25 season, that left very few minutes for a young gun like Scheierman.

Chances are Scheierman saw the writing on the wall and knew that he would spend the majority of his rookie season putting in work behind the scenes. Mazzulla took no chances, though, and let Scheierman know right off the bat he wouldn’t be getting a ton of minutes in his first professional season.

“‘Listen, I don’t really like rookies,’” Scheierman recalled Mazzulla telling him, as transcribed by CLNS’ Bobby Manning. “’So you’re gonna have to battle this year, and that’s how it is.’ And I was like, ‘Alright, that’s alright.’”

Sure enough, Scheierman didn’t get much run last season. In 31 games, Scheierman averaged 3.6 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 12.4 minutes per game while shooting 35.5% from the field.

He did showcase his potential on several occasions, though. On March 18, Scheierman helped power the shorthanded Celtics to a 104-96 victory over the Brooklyn Nets with a 20-point outing, which included him nailing six of his seven three-point attempts.

As Boston enters an uncertain offseason, Scheierman could find himself with a bigger role next year, depending on the moves Brad Stevens and the front office make. Sam Hauser has been floated as a potential trade target, which could open the door for Scheierman to slide into his role off the bench.

Being a rookie on a team that is a defending champion is never easy, but Scheierman managed to handle Mazzulla’s hard-nosed style of coaching with aplomb. Now, he could be set to take on a bigger role when he returns to the court for his sophomore season.