{"id":734065,"date":"2026-05-14T10:21:26","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T10:21:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/734065\/"},"modified":"2026-05-14T10:21:26","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T10:21:26","slug":"the-celtics-reserve-wing-power-rankings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/734065\/","title":{"rendered":"The Celtics\u2019 reserve wing power rankings"},"content":{"rendered":"

Despite the ugly ending, one of the most enjoyable aspects of the 2025-2026 Celtics season was watching several unknowns ascend into real contributor territory.<\/p>\n

Jordan Walsh, Baylor Scheierman, Hugo Gonzalez and Ron Harper Jr. formed a reserve wing group that helped establish the team\u2019s revolving door<\/a> identity. Entering the rotation, falling out, and recapturing a spot again was the standard flow of things.<\/p>\n

Watching these four was particularly exciting in contrast to previous wing rooms. They brought a new type of versatility and athleticism, paired with elite effort.<\/p>\n

\"Boston,<\/a><\/p>\n

Boston, MA – January 28 – Atlanta Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu (17) lets the ball get loose as Boston Celtics guards Jordan Walsh (27), Hugo Gonzalez (28) and Baylor Scheierman (55) surround during the second half of a NBA game at the Garden. (Photo By Matt Stone\/MediaNews Group\/Boston Herald via Getty Images). MediaNews Group via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Every few games, one would break out with a performance that made you think \u201cOh, this guy can play.\u201d Often those big games would secure a temporary spot in the rotation until someone else made a statement of their own. It created a competitive spirit that helped fuel the Celtics to the second seed in the East, and it might\u2019ve been a piece of what was missing in their loss to the Sixers. The shrunken playoff rotation zapped some of their unpredictability.<\/p>\n

While they\u2019ve shown flashes, and even stretches of consistent impact, questions remain for each of them. The questions are different though, so where does each one actually stand? Weighing current impact, system fit and long-term ceiling, here\u2019s how I view this group of four.<\/p>\n

Walsh put together a very strong third season. After his sophomore campaign, it wasn\u2019t even clear if he had a place on this roster. Then he was getting a genuine look off the bench in a playoff series to counter Tyrese Maxey. That\u2019s a testament to his work ethic and growth.<\/p>\n

The tools are what got Walsh drafted, and this was the year they finally shined. He has moments of lockdown defense across several positions, winning with lateral quickness and long, disruptive arms. His improved role player IQ<\/a> allowed him to add value on the offensive end more consistently by finding gaps, making quick decisions and keeping the ball moving.<\/p>\n

The challenge is that offensively, he\u2019s still limited. The Sixers weren\u2019t threatened by his shooting, and he finished the series 2-12 from three. Until that changes, it\u2019s hard to justify his minutes when the game slows down.<\/p>\n

At 22, the runway is there. Another year proving his jumper is real might force defenders to respect him, and he has the athleticism to develop as a slasher. But right now, he ranks fourth among this group.<\/p>\n

I might be getting ahead of myself here, but I see it with Harper Jr.<\/p>\n

We are talking about a newly 26-year-old with under 400 total NBA minutes. Even so, it almost feels like he\u2019s too low on this list.<\/p>\n

He has arguably the most well-rounded skill set of the bunch. At 6\u20195, 230 lbs with a 7\u20191 wingspan, Harper Jr. has the frame to guard 1-4. He is a switchable defender who can force turnovers both on the ball and in the passing lanes.<\/p>\n

The defense is clearly NBA-ready, but it\u2019s the offense that\u2019s difficult to ignore. In the G League, Harper Jr. averaged 25.4 points and shot 38.7% from three on 10.8 attempts per game. The sample at the NBA level isn\u2019t large enough to be certain, but the flashes are hard to dismiss.<\/p>\n

Brad Stevens called him a \u201cstud<\/a>\u201d after his first start, and said nobody inside the organization was surprised. That amount of organizational confidence in a player that was still on a two-way contract means something.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s shown comfort launching threes on and off the ball, is a strong and smooth slasher, and can handle the rock or make the quick read to keep things moving.<\/p>\n

In some ways, he\u2019s reminiscent of Derrick White. Not to say that\u2019s who he\u2019ll become, but he brings a similar balanced two-way toolkit. Depending on how the offseason unfolds, I wouldn\u2019t be surprised to see him slide into a starting role.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no glaring hole in his game, which makes him a connective piece that works in a variety of contexts. He fits next to all of Boston\u2019s best players, and looks capable of scaling up to take on more offensive responsibility.<\/p>\n

With a team option heading into next year, he could be excellent value. If he gets the reps, there\u2019s a realistic chance he becomes a development story similar to Neemias Queta as a player who ascended with enough time in the system and minutes on the court.<\/p>\n

\"BOSTON,<\/a><\/p>\n

BOSTON, MA – MAY 2: Baylor Scheierman #55 and Hugo Gonzalez #28 of the Boston Celtics react during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers during Round One Game Seven of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 2, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and\/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau\/NBAE via Getty Images) NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Baylor is good, and I\u2019m not afraid to admit it.<\/p>\n

Some things simply cannot be taught, and Scheierman\u2019s competitiveness is one of them. He\u2019s cut from the same cloth as Payton Pritchard \u2013 the type of player who lives for a moment to let the fans, opposing bench, or the broadcast crew hear about it.<\/p>\n

His rookie year had fun flashes but the vision wasn\u2019t clear. He looked more like a streaky gunslinger than a real complementary piece. His sophomore year couldn\u2019t have been more encouraging.<\/p>\n

He appeared in 77 games, shot 39.9% from three \u2014 second on the team behind only Luka Garza \u2014 and held that level in the playoffs. The shot was always the selling point, but it\u2019s the ancillary skills that are more exciting. He has a unique array of finishes with floaters, turnarounds, and deceleration on his drives.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s a strong playmaker coming off screens and makes instant decisions to attack a scrambling defense. It all blends into a player who extends an advantage or builds upon it without letting it die.<\/p>\n

The most important development might be the defense. Settling for playable on that end would have been fine, but he\u2019s genuinely useful. The effort is obvious, but there\u2019s strength, instincts and positioning behind it.<\/p>\n

Scheierman has set himself up to be a key rotation piece for the foreseeable future.<\/p>\n

As a 19-year-old, Gonzalez was perfectly comfortable with the speed and physicality of the NBA. That is generally not the case, but his years in professional basketball prepared him well.<\/p>\n

There is more to his offensive game than we\u2019ve seen. It isn\u2019t polished yet, but he can finish with finesse or power. He\u2019s flashed floaters, euro steps and explosive gathers in transition and half court settings. He\u2019s still a project in some ways, but he\u2019s starting from a strong foundation.<\/p>\n

The numbers paint the picture well. With Gonzalez on the court, Boston posted an 11.9 net rating. It dropped to 5.4 with him on the bench \u2014 the third largest swing on the team. The defensive rating improved by six points with him on the floor, with only a -0.7 drop on offense.<\/p>\n

That kind of impact from a player still finding his way is striking. His three-point shot will ultimately be the swing skill for how good he can become, but 36% in Year One is not a bad starting point.<\/p>\n

His youth is an advantage over everyone else on this list, but his impact is already showing up clearly. At 20, he\u2019s the most intriguing of this group, and the one with the most room left to grow.<\/p>\n

Brad Stevens said it plainly: \u201cHugo had a great rookie year and is, I think, a critical part of us moving forward\u2026 His athleticism can meet the moment in big games. That\u2019s a real thing. You can see it.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Despite the ugly ending, one of the most enjoyable aspects of the 2025-2026 Celtics season was watching several…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":734066,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[3766],"tags":[7,45,75,65415,3798,46,1206,6],"class_list":{"0":"post-734065","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-boston-celtics","8":"tag-basketball","9":"tag-boston","10":"tag-boston-celtics","11":"tag-boston-celtics-discussion","12":"tag-bostonceltics","13":"tag-celtics","14":"tag-celtics-analysis","15":"tag-nba"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/116572434446073382","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/734065","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=734065"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/734065\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/734066"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=734065"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=734065"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=734065"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}