Story by
Shaq shamelessly admits he has no idea about 1 Celtics player
- Story by
- Shaq shamelessly admits he has no idea about 1 Celtics player
Shaq shamelessly admits he has no idea about 1 Celtics player appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
Since being selected by the Boston Celtics as the No. 30 pick of the 2024 NBA draft, Baylor Scheierman has quietly established himself as an important contributor in Joe Mazzulla's rotation. He has especially come good of late, posting his fourth double-double in 14 games in the Celtics' recent 109-98 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers , returning with 16 points and 10 rebounds with 6-8 overall shooting and 4-6 from beyond the arc.
Advertisement
However, for Shaquille O'Neal, that is evidently not enough to even know that the 25-year-old shooting guard exists.
"I don't even know who this kid is," he said on ESPN, per a post on X by Awful Announcing. Shaq was quickly told his name by Ernie Johnson, but had a hilarious response again.
"I have never met nobody named Baylor or Scheierman," he said, obviously joking. Boston improved to 43-21 with the victory and completed a 3-0 season sweep of Cleveland. Of course, Scheierman's impact went beyond the production.
Boston's defensive dominance in the second quarter, holding Cleveland to just 10 points on 4-of-25 shooting and 0-for-14 from three, was fueled in part by his hustle on the glass. Scheierman is one of several Boston players who have been forced into a bigger role this season after Jayson Tatum 's injury and the subsequent departure of multiple stars.
Advertisement
He started just two games last season and had 31 total appearances, averaging 12.4 minutes per outing. This season, Scheierman has played an average of 16.3 minutes across 58 appearances with 15 starts. He has averaged 4.6 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game while shooting at almost 60% overall from the field and almost 38% from beyond the arc. That is a stark improvement in all categories from the previous season.
Apart from his offensive contributions, Scheierman is a busy defender who has integrated seamlessly into Mazzulla's system. Now, with Jayson Tatum back, he is likely to continue operating chiefly as a bench influencer , something the 25-year-old has excelled at thus far.
Related: Cavaliers' Kenny Atkinson explains 'top 5′ praise for Celtics' Derrick White
Related: Celtics' Jayson Tatum shouts out his 'crying' mom on International Women's Day
