Grading the Boston Celtics deep bench

A little-too-early grading of the Boston Celtics deep bench players preseason performances.

The Celtics played back-to-back over the weekend. The first game came against the second and third-string Philadelphia 76ers, while the second game came against the Toronto Raptors. We saw a healthy dose of Boston’s primary rotation in the first night of the back-to-back, and a big dose of the bench and deep bench in the second night.

We already know what the primary guys bring to the rotation. We’ve also got an 82-game season to dissect their improvements, how they execute, and their road to Banner 19. So, I want to focus on the deep bench guys today. I’m well aware there’s still one more preseason game left to play. However, I’m expecting to see an increase in minutes for some of the starters, so grading the deeper bench guys today felt right…

Jordan Walsh

Walsh has been the standout of Boston’s preseason. After struggling during Summer League, the sophomore forward is starting to show the improvements he’s made to his game since entering the league last season.

Walsh’s defense has been as advertised. He fights over screens, keeps pressure by chasing in the rearview and uses his exceptionally long wing-span to deter passing lanes and disrupt his opponents’ rhythm.

However, it’s what we’ve seen from Walsh on offense that’s really got people’s pulses racing.

I have this possession labeled “Walsh Slot Drive, Tempo Control, Contact Finish” in my video clips from yesterday’s game. It’s not a snazzy play or a breathtaking action. It’s a good, honest basketball play from a young player looking to earn minutes in the rotation. It’s also a play that can work as an offensive highlight for his preseason thus far.

Walsh has got much better at playing under control. He’s handling the rock with confidence. He’s making faster decisions, and he’s making reads based on how the defense is covering him. A year with the Maine Celtics has certainly helped his development. Out of all of Boston’s deeper bench guys, he is arguably the most ready to make the jump to the primary rotation.

With Oshae Brissett gone, Walsh could fill that gap. He will thrive in a primarily defensive role with some freedom to take his shot when the opportunity arises.

Preseason Grade: A

Baylor Scheierman

I was high on Scheierman heading into the preseason. After all, he looked good during Summer League, and his college production was encouraging for a low-ceiling, high-floor guy to help on the deeper end of the bench.

Scheierman’s preseason has been tough sledding. He’s a combined 3-of-17 from the 3-point range over his first four games and 4-of-24 from the perimeter. He has more rebounds (9) than made shots and almost as many assists (3). He must show more if he wants to earn a chance to play on Joe Mazzulla’s roster.

Going 0-for-6 against the Raptors was another tough blow for the rookie. When watching him play, it appears that he’s still adjusting to the pace of play, and is often sped-up when looking to get into his shot, both off the catch and the dribble.

The above clip is one of Scheierman’s made threes. You can see that he catches the ball high to ensure a quick release and has decent form. Sure, there will likely be some tweaks to the mechanics, but in general, there’s some upside to working with them long-term.

However, despite the fact that I’m still pretty high on his overall skillset and ways he could plug gaps for the Celtics from time to time, the Maine Celtics are calling. After seeing how much Walsh has progressed within a year in their system, it will be fun to keep track of Scheierman’s development. I just doubt we will see much — if any — of him once the regular season begins.

Preseason Grade D-

Drew Peterson

Next to Walsh, Peterson has been one of the Celtics standouts. He’s showcased his scoring ability, flashed some encouraging off-ball movement, competed on defense, and provided glimpses of his secondary passing in the half-court. Peterson has been a welcomed surprise.

Peterson could easily slot into the role Svi Mykhailiuk vacated at the end of last season. He wouldn’t be an ‘every game’ player, but he would be a scoring punch off the bench when needed and would undoubtedly hold his own with minimal usage rate and/or touches.

However, as he is already on a two-way contract, the Celtics have no urgency to convert him into a main roster deal, especially while they continue to evaluate Lonnie Walker IV and potential other additions from around the league.

Still, Peterson’s stock has surely increased. He looks NBA-ready. Again, though, small sample sizes can be deceiving.

Preseason Grade: A

JD Davison

Davison has taken gradual steps since joining the Celtics in 2022. He’s improved his processing speed, handle, passing range and scoring profile. However, he’s fighting an uphill battle due to the talent level of the guards on Boston’s main roster. Davison has been reliable during the preseason, but he hasn’t done anything to pop out of the screen and scream, ‘Give me minutes’ while on the floor.

I always think of Davison as being a lite version of Russell Westbrook. He likes to rip’n’run off of rebounds, he’s always looking to get the lob pass up, and he’s a blur when getting downhill to attack the rim.

Davison’s ability to pressure the rim, force defensive rotations, and find the open shooter on kick-out passes all fit within Mazzulla’s offensive game plan. He’s even improved his shooting ability on the perimeter. Unfortunately for him, Payton Pritchard, Jrue Holiday and Derrick White are a nightmare trio to try and compete against for any form of playing time. That’s before we get to Jaden Springer, too.

Preseason Grade: C

Jaden Springer

A quick search on the Twitterverse will tell you that most people aren’t impressed with Springer’s production over the past four games. I’m a little more even-keeled, but at the same time, he’s not setting the world alight. Springer is exactly what it says on the tin: A fierce on-ball defender who can hit some shots off the catch and a be a connective tissue between offensive and defensive actions.

Unlike Davision, Springer is on a full-time contract. Unless the Celtics trade him, he will be with the team for the upcoming season before hitting the restricted free-agent market next summer.

Springer has played a total of 42 minutes across the Celtics’ four preseason games, taking 9 shots in total; six of them came from the perimeter, and all three of his makes were from deep. He’s also chipped in with two rebounds and five assists, along with one steal. Put bluntly, that’s not enough. If he wants a role on the Celtics, he must show he can penetrate off the dribble and pressure the rim, spray the ball when defenses close out or collapse and make rim reads when sprung free.

After being shut down in Summer League for dominating, this has been a disappointing stretch for the former Sixers guard.

Preseason Grade: C

Dmytro Skapintsev

We haven’t seen much of Skapintsev during preseason. He’s played a total of 28 minutes, averaging out to seven minutes per night, thus proving how far down he is within Mazzulla’s rotation — especially when you factor in Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford not suiting up for any of these games.

For me, Skapintsev’s screening leaves a lot to be desired. I’ve waxed poetic about Luke Kornet’s off-ball movement within the Celtics’ five-out offense on multiple occasions. That’s the same role Boston needs out of Skapintsev. Set good screens, create space for others, make reads on the roll, and finish the easy ones when they present themselves.

Skapintsev will undoubtedly be spending next season in Maine. Boston has enough big man depth on the primary roster, so unless they’re up by 30/40 or there’s a major injury issue at the five, it’s unlikely he will see any NBA minutes for the upcoming season.

Preseason Grade: C-

Neemias Queta

Queta has given the Celtics everything you would expect. He’s been a rim-runner, glass cleaner, interior presence and even flashed some playmaking out of the short roll. Against the Raptors, if I was being critical, I would prefer him to hammer home some of his close-range attempts, as sometimes, his rebound numbers can be padded by him getting his own misses.

Still, there’s no denying the impact Queta makes when he’s on the court. He’s a big bodied rim deterrent, is mobile enough to rotate on defense and has begun to improve his positioning and timing. Staying on his feet and out of foul trouble are still areas to improve though.

I’ve also been a fan of Queta’s improved screening, especially when working on the perimeter and keeping Boston’s spacing alive. The next step for him is figuring out how to thrive in a Kornet-style role without giving up what makes him such a tough prospect to deal with on the interior.

For me, over these four games, Queta has been exactly what you would expect — and that’s a win.

Preseason Grade: B+

Lonnie Walker IV

I’ve made no secret regarding my concerns with adding Walker to the roster. I like his skill set. I like the scoring he provides and think he could also flash upside as a playmaker. However, I am concerned about his defender and, more importantly, his willingness to go stretches of games without seeing the floor.

Factor in Boston’s potential $10 million cap (primarily due to luxury taxes) hit for signing him for the season. Walker’s addition to the Celtics roster as the 15th man is far from guaranteed. Nevertheless, he didn’t hurt his chances with his scoring outburst against the Raptors on Sunday.

In 66 minutes over four games, Walker has shot 12-of-28 from the field, 5-of-16 from deep, dished out 10 assists, grabbed 6 boards, registered 2 pilfers and a block. Most of those numbers came on Sunday, though — that’s the downside of working with such small sample sizes: they can skew quickly.

Walker is a proven commodity in the NBA. He’s shown he can get buckets at this level and that he can thrive in multiple different offensive systems. Still, the front office must weight up his cost (including penalties) and whether his production will provide a worthwhile ROI. If not, he could head to the G-League as a free agent, potentially chasing the bonus he gets if he spends 60 days (I think) in Maine.

I’m being quite liberal with this grade, as he hardly played against Denver, but still, based on what we’ve seen, I think it’s fair.

Preseason Grade: A-

Do you agree with these gradings? Are there any you would change? How do you grade these guys or even the starters?

Let me know in the comments!