Team Needs: Bench Reinforcements, Upside Bets
The champ is here. The Boston Celtics finally got over the hump this season, as they mowed through the Eastern Conference during the regular season and the playoffs before taking down the Dallas Mavericks in five games in the NBA Finals.
Boston is a juggernaut, one that has done a good job building out a roster around a pair of All-Stars in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Their core guys are all signed long-term (except for Tatum, who is going to get a monster extension this summer, and Derrick White, who also stands to cash in with the team), and they don’t really have any major questions on their roster going into the offseason. And yet, there are few better spots to be in than being able to add talent from a position of strength, and at the end of the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft, Boston got the opportunity to do that with the No. 30 pick.
They ultimately took Creighton forward Baylor Scheierman to add another shooter to the roster.
Baylor Scheierman (No. 30 Overall), B: Boston can hide Scheierman’s athletic shortcomings more than any team in the league given the defensive infrastructure. Because of that, this pick makes a ton of sense. Scheierman can rebound and be in the right place on that end, but the more appealing side of the floor is his offense. He can really shoot. He moves the ball well. It wouldn’t be great everywhere, but Boston can unlock Scheierman.