Celtics Sophomore Breaks Out Of Slump Vs. Rockets

The Boston Celtics’ three-game win streak came to an end in a 128-101 loss to the Houston Rockets on Saturday. Joe Mazzulla’s team struggled to capitalize on their high-tempo offense, shooting 38.8% from the floor and 31.8% from 3-point range.

Despite the loss, there were some encouraging developments for the Celtics, most notably, Baylor Scheierman’s performance off the bench. The sophomore wing has struggled in recent months, including a forgettable performance in the Las Vegas Summer League and multiple tough shooting nights to start the season.

Yet, against Houston, Scheierman found some rhythm. The South Dakota State and Creighton product ended the night with 17 points, five rebounds, one assist and two steals. However, it was his efficiency — 6-of-7 from the field, including 4-of-5 from deep — that was most encouraging.

“Yeah, like I said every game, I come in and just try to make a positive impact with
whatever time I’m given,” Scheierman said during his postgame media availability. “And at the end of the day, I can rest my head knowing that, you know, I’m coming in just playing hard, trying to do my best.”

Scheierman was drafted with the 30th pick in 2024. A five-year collegiate product, he’s viewed as a “high-floor, low ceiling” prospect. And while he was seen as a shooting specialist by some draft analysts, Scheierman’s playmaking, passing, rebounding, and three-level scoring ability should enable him to embrace a role as a utility player off the bench.

As a retooling team, the Celtics undoubtedly will welcome any developmental jumps from their younger talents. Of course, Scheierman must find a way to build some consistency, as the occasional high-efficency game won’t be enough to earn him a steady role with the second unit, especially with so much competition for minutes.

Scheierman needed a bounce-back game to help restore some of his confidence. Now that he’s reminded himself and the Celtics fanbase of what he’s capable of, his next task will be to build momentum and use the Rockets game as a turning point.

The Celtics clearly believe in him; that’s why they recently picked up his team option for the 2026-27 season. However, it’s up to Scheierman to convince the front office he’s worth keeping around in 2027-28, where his team option will be worth $4.9 million.

More performances like Saturday’s would go a long way to securing his spot on the Celtics’ 15-man roster for the next couple of years.