Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla talks growth of rookie Baylor Scheierman

Baylor Scheierman has played sparingly this season with the Boston Celtics but coach Joe Mazzulla has been impressed with him in a limited sample size.

Scheierman is averaging 1.7 points and 1.4 rebounds on 27% shooting from the field in 18 appearances. He has primarily played in mop-up duty with so many players ahead of him on the depth chart, though recorded a career-high 15 points on March 6 in a win over the Philadelphia 76ers.

The 30th pick was thrust into a larger role in that victory, with the Celtics down several starters. He offered a glimpse of the production he can bring, which stood out to Mazzulla.

"The most important thing is being able to defend at a high level," Mazzulla said on Saturday. "The second-most important thing is, can you make reads and not just on the offensive end, (but on) the defensive end? He makes a ton of winning plays. The play he dove into the baseline (against the Sixers) was a huge play for us when he played. But just not being defined by offense. I think the reads are the biggest thing, and not just offensively, the defensive reads are important. The game is much faster with a lot of the switching and the matchup changes we do. It takes a lot of reps and taking pride in those reps."

Scheierman has spent most of the season in the G League, averaging 19.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.2 steals on 37.7% shooting from 3-point range in 25 games. He has registered 12 20-point games, including a season-high 33 points on Nov. 8.

Mazzulla previously commended Scheierman for his work and even believes the former Creighton standout is further ahead on defense than initially thought. Scheierman views the G League assignments as great opportunities to improve, which appears to be paying off.

The team has been pleased with his play in the G League to this point of the season. Those minutes have enabled him to stay ready and contribute when needed.

Note: Sharif Phillips-Keaton of Nets Wire contributed to this story

This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: Celtics news: Joe Mazzulla talks growth of rookie Baylor Scheierman

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Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla talks growth of rookie Baylor Scheierman

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