On a wing and a prayer

The NBA has gone through different eras. After being dominated by big men in the 80’s and 90’s, the league ushered in speed and shooting with a flurry of point guards at the turn of the century. But for the last decade and a half, it’s been dominated by wings.

In back-to-back drafts, the Celtics cemented their franchise’s cornerstones. Critics and haters alike blasted Boston for pinning their future on the perceived duplicative talents of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, but after one of the most dominant runs in NBA history capped off with Banner 18, the wing duo have proved their doubters wrong.

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Despite their riches at the position, that didn’t stop then President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge or his successor in Brad Stevens to fill out their wing depth through the draft. Ainge selected Romeo Langford and Aaron Nesmith with consecutive #14 picks in 2019 and 2020 respectively. With his first first round selection after joining the front office, Stevens picked Baylor Scheierman at #30 this summer.

Boston will now start training camp next week with a collection of young wings in the incubator. Scheierman joins Jordan Walsh and Jaden Springer (who’s entering a contract year). The logjam is further crowded by the addition of Lonnie Walker III and two-way players Anton Watson and Drew Peterson nipping at their heels.

Sam Hauser is the obvious success story. Undrafted in 2021, Hauser chose the Celtics over the Heat and developed in Maine. After being an integral part in last season’s championship run, he signed a four-year, $45 million extension in July. And if we’re being greedy, Nesmith’s rise in Indy is a testament to Boston’s scouting and talent evaluation department.

The Hauser blueprint is simple: have an NBA-level skill — Hauser is a career 40-plus percent three-point shooter — and improve in your deficiencies to at least be serviceable in those weaknesses. Of course, that’s easier said than done, but after a solid Finals performance covering Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving straight up, it’s not crazy to call Hauser not just a good defender, but a stopper.

In Scheierman, Walsh, and Springer, there isn’t a clear cut favorite to join the rotation. CelticsBlog vet Adam Taylor and one of our newest writers, Robby Fletcher, recently broke down the positional battle between the rookie and sophomore. Their argument boiled down to this exchange:

Fletcher: It’s hard to deny the more balanced skillset of Baylor Scheierman. If I were to place money on it, I’d probably say Mazzulla prefers that option as well. I’d say you’ve made the right points on his fit, so I’ll let you take the win there. I still have hope for Walsh, and maybe another year with extended G-League action isn’t out of the question, but I’d like to see his growth in Year 2 play out in Boston.

Taylor: …Walsh has all the tools to be a genuine three-and-d role player in the NBA. I just don’t think he’s ready yet, and that role may not be with the Celtics due to the competition for playing time.

If you could combine Walsh’s defensive prowess with Scheierman’s offensive polish, you might have somebody that could pass the Hauser litmus test and really, the high bar that head coach Joe Mazzulla sets for everybody. For the most part, 1 through 8, every Celtic in the rotation can do a little of everything on both sides of the ball. As Stevens puts it, “the ability to make our wings better is going to be a huge part of the people that will be around them.”

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Shooting helps. See: Hauser, Sam. Defense is a requirement. The top-6 are all plus-defenders and the bench can hold their own. Make plays off the dribble. Pass. Shift the energy. Sure. That’s all great, too. However, there may be an easier answer in the end: ballers just ball. When training camp opens, you’ll hear whispers of it from the players and coaches. So-and-so looks real comfortable in open scrimmages. So-and-so has come back from the summer with some confidence. You can call it vibes or aura, but there’s just a moment when it clicks for a player.

For guys like Payton Pritchard, they seem born ready. An opportunity is all they need. For other players, particularly (and ironically) shooters, the speed of the game can rattle them at first. Yips plagued Grant Williams to start his rookie season and he missed his first 25 threes. Nesmith was widely regarded as the best shooter of the 2020 draft class, but nervous energy throughout his rookie campaign and into his second year relegated him to a reckless hustle play specialist.

If Summer League is any indication, that switch may already be flipped for Jaden Springer. After scoring 23 points (3-for-6 from behind the arc) and dishing out six assists against the Heat, the Celtics shut down the now fourth-year guard. In a feature role, he looked comfortable and confident. He already had defense as his calling card and he seems to have dialed up some shooting and an ability to make plays off the dribble. Let’s see how that translates next month and keep in mind that Springer is extension eligible and enters restricted free agency next June.