Are the Boston Celtics using Baylor Scheierman as a "proxy" for Jayson Tatum as they await the return of their six-time All-Star?
The Ringer's Bill Simmons recently proposed exactly this theory on a new episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast.
In trying to explain the recent role change of Scheierman, who has been starting for the Celtics and playing 24 or 25 minutes a night, Simmons suggested that Joe Mazzulla has been purposefully placing Scheierman in the precise role that Tatum is expected to play upon returning.
Simmons pointed out that Scheierman's minutes allocation aligns with what we can expect from Tatum as he works himself back into game shape. Simmons also noted that the actions Boston has been running for Scheierman, as well as Baylor's tendency to position himself in the corner as a 3-point threat/floor-spacer, align with how Tatum will work himself back into a groove.
Simmons's theory here makes a lot of sense because there's not a better explanation as to why the Celtics all of the sudden began starting Scheierman and prioritizing his minutes over Jordan Walsh and Hugo Gonzalez, two young wings who have proven superior to Scheierman this season as two-way players.
Scheierman has improved immensely on defense in 2025-26, so this isn't meant to be a knock on his development. The author of this piece also considered Scheierman's recent role to be a "long-game" strategy by Mazzulla. In essence, what if Mazzulla, knowing what he has in Walsh and Gonzalez, is merely prioritizing depth chart development over putting his best five guys in the starting lineup every night?
In other words, what if Mazzulla is more concerned with Boston's bigger picture than anything else? It's not difficult to imagine Joe taking this out-of-the-box approach to team-building. Suppose he considered it vital to test Scheierman now and move his development further along (closer to the level of Walsh and Gonzalez), in the event that the Celtics need Scheierman in the playoffs due to injuries to other wings?
If that's what Mazzulla has been doing, he's been taking a "you're only as good as your weakest link" approach to team-building, which would be a noble approach from the Coach of the Year candidate.
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