BOSTON — A fierce Boston Celtics training camp battle is officially underway as media day approaches and Joe Mazzulla finalizes his rotation. Boston’s starters—featuring Payton Pritchard, Derrick White, Paul George, Jayson Tatum, and Neemias Queta—combines with bench anchors Mike Conley, Mitchell Robinson, Sam Hauser, and Hugo Gonzalez. That leaves exactly one open spot remaining in the nightly 10-man rotation. As intensity builds in practice, that final opening comes down to a direct clash of styles between Jordan Walsh and Baylor Scheierman.
Early returns from Boston’s developing young wings
Boston’s coaching staff enters camp with immense confidence in its young talent. Both Jordan Walsh and Baylor Scheierman established themselves as trusted, rotation-worthy contributors during their 2025-26 campaigns.
Walsh played 68 games last year, posting a solid +6.4 on-court net rating. But it was his high-stakes impact that really raised eyebrows: during the 2026 playoffs, Boston registered an incredible +25.1 net rating (+29.3 on-off differential) with Walsh on the floor. Analytics models like DARKO estimated his true model value at $17.1 million, a staggering amount relative to his $2.2 million salary.
Providing lethal floor spacing alongside him, Scheierman knocked down 39.9% of his three-point attempts on 243 attempts per 36 minutes. That elite combination of volume and efficiency made him a seamless fit in Mazzulla’s kick-out secondary actions.
The stakes driving this Celtics training camp battle
While Scheierman brings elite three-point shooting, Walsh offers that game-changing defensive intensity and length. Having recently signed a three-year, $15 million extension, Walsh now has to step onto the floor and consistently prove he is worth his weight in gold to justify that front-office investment.
Scheierman’s contract path is equally tied to this rotation battle. If he builds on his strong breakout and continues to look like a pillar of Boston’s core, the front office can pick up his option for the following season and immediately work out a long-term extension—mirroring the exact playbook Brad Stevens used with Queta and Walsh
With Boston projected to face less of a tax crunch down the road, there is even a scenario where a dominant season leads the team to decline Scheierman’s option and launch his extension early. That route would cost the franchise more for the 2027-28 season, but having a young wing play well enough to force that decision is a great problem to have. Whichever way Mazzulla leans, this competition keeps Celtics depth razor-sharp.
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