Celtics-Heat Summer League takeaways: Scheierman delivers solid debut

Celtics-Heat Summer League takeaways: Scheierman delivers solid debut originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Baylor Scheierman‘s first game in a Boston Celtics uniform is in the books, and it was an eventful one for the No. 30 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 was Boston’s high scorer with 23 points, while Neemias Queta added 20 points and nine rebounds and JD Davison contributed 19 points.

Jaime Jaquez Jr. (game-high 29 points) showed out for Miami, with Josh Christopher (20 points) and Kel’el Ware (17 points) delivering strong performances as well.

The Celtics’ next Summer League 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 first of four C’s games in Las Vegas:

Baylor Scheierman finishes strong

Scheierman’s best attribute is his outside shot, but early on, it was his playmaking ability on display.

Despite going 0 for 3 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 dish to fellow rookie Anton Watson for a layup:

Scheierman finally got on the board late in the second quarter, hitting a pull-up jumper at the free throw line for his first points in a Celtics uniform.

The 6-foot-6 forward found his shooting stroke in the second half, making three of his five 3-point attempts to reach double digits.

Scheierman added six assists, five rebounds and a steal in a solid all-around performance despite his early offensive struggles. If the 23-year-old continues to find ways to impact the game outside his shooting, he could carve out some minutes at the NBA level this season.

Jaden Springer provides a spark

While the attention was on Scheierman, Springer was the Celtics’ best player in this game.

The 21-year-old guard, whom Boston acquired from the Philadelphia 76ers in February, racked up 23 points on 8 of 15 shooting while adding six assists and a pair of steals. He helped Neemias Queta get going early by finding the big man with a nifty pass for an easy dunk, then made an acrobatic play to convert a pull-up jumper in the second half.

Springer likely won’t see many minutes this season behind the 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 the paint

Queta might be the most experienced player on the Celtics’ Summer League roster, and he played like it in Game 1.

The fourth-year big man brought energy in the paint on both ends, finishing with 20 points on 9 of 15 shooting to go along with nine rebounds (six offensive), two assists, a steal and a block.

Queta did have some trouble finishing around the rim but showcased strong rebounding ability and rim protection. He’s a player worth watching early in the season, as head coach Joe Mazzulla may call his number with Kristaps Porzingis expected to be sidelined until November or December.

Anton Watson protects the rim

The Celtics’ 2024 second-round pick had a quieter night than Scheierman (eight points on 4 of 7 shooting with two rebounds, a steal and a block), but he delivered an impressive highlight in the fourth quarter by swatting a Jaquez layup attempt:

Watson was a versatile defender at Gonzaga, and he lived up to that scouting report Saturday. Check out full Celtics-Heat game highlights below: