Ramp to Camp: Which young player will have biggest impact for Celtics? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The roster overhaul that followed Banner 18 didn’t just crack open the door for the Boston Celtics’ youngest players, it launched them through it. Now Boston’s ability to remain competitive may hinge heavily on how quickly that youth grows up.
For Day 6 of our Ramp to Camp series, we asked our panel to predict which of Boston’s youngest players will have the biggest impact this season.
In full disclosure, we asked our panel to pick any “younger-ish” player. We wondered if anyone might try to make a case for 28-year-old Payton Pritchard or 27-year-old Neemias Queta, who still feel young(-ish) based on years of service.
But today’s question really boils down to Boston’s collection of wings in Hugo Gonzalez, Baylor Scheierman, Jordan Walsh, and Ron Harper Jr. Down the road, rookies Chris Cenac Jr. and Dillon Mitchell might muscle their way into the conversation, too.
But each of the young wings on last year’s team got a chance to strut their stuff at various points of the season, and each got an opportunity on the playoff stage.
The question now is which one of them will truly distinguish and separate themselves during the 2026-27 season?
Loyal readers of this space are well aware of how bullish this writer is on Gonzalez’s future. He nearly saved Boston from itself in Game 7, particularly with a willingness to joust with Joel Embiid despite giving up a bunch of size. There’s a Marcus Smart-like quality to Gonzalez, where he thrives on hustle and chaos.
We also can’t help but think back to Brad Stevens’ end-of-the-season press conference when he offered high praise for Gonzalez’s rookie campaign.
“The reality is Hugo had a great rookie year and is, I think, a critical part of us moving forward,” Stevens said in May. “Because his athleticism can meet the moment in big games. That’s a real thing. You can see it.
“His strength is off the charts … he’s one of the strongest guys on our team, pound-for-pound, right now, as a 20-year-old. So, he’s got a bright future.”
The only question, in our mind, is whether Gonzalez’s offensive game develops fast enough for him to win the tug-of-war for minutes with Boston’s other young wings. Even in praising Gonzalez, Stevens noted the need to further distinguish himself.
“[Gonzalez] didn’t separate himself from those other guys,” Stevens said in May. “And so, as a front-office person, I can’t sit here and say that one person should have been playing over another. There was no separation.”
Scheierman’s offensive talents, coupled with a high basketball IQ and defensive versatility, helped him earn coach Joe Mazzulla’s trust last season. Walsh pledged this summer to improve his all-around game to ensure he doesn’t get labeled as just a defensive specialist and wants Mazzulla to feel comfortable playing him in any situation. Harper Jr. started Game 7 in the postseason and should get an opportunity to build off the first consistent minutes of his career (318 minutes in 29 appearances with Boston last season; 69 minutes in 11 appearances over his first three seasons with Toronto and Detroit).
Paul Rutherford-Imagn ImagesThis could truly tip in any direction. The best possible outcome for the Celtics might be that each player makes strides in their own way and then it’s on Mazzulla to figure out how to best deploy that talent.
Walsh was seemingly on an All-Defense track for a month last season but his offensive limitations caused his minutes to fade. Scheierman could be in line for another robust role with the departure of Jaylen Brown, and if he builds off last season then he’ll be an important piece of Boston’s success. Harper Jr. showed in small glimpses how impactful he can be — particularly the night he got dispatched to defend Kevin Durant in his first career start.
We’re still going to lean towards Gonzalez here. We just think the Celtics need his chaos factor. Opponents shot 3.6 percent below expected output against Gonzalez, which ranked in the 94th percentile among all wings. His rebounding was elite for his position, including on the offensive end where his corner crashes helped generate second-chance opportunities.
The Celtics were 9.5 points per 100 possessions better with Gonzalez on the court, per Cleaning the Glass data. Even with his own limitations, Boston’s offensive rating perked up 5.9 points per 100 possessions in his floor time (a reflection of how good the young bench group was overall). The defensive rating dipped by 3.6 points and opponent turnover rate spiked by 2.6 percent in Gonzalez’s minutes.
We think there’s a big leap awaiting for Gonzalez, and it starts during the 2026-27 season.
Max Lederman, Content Producer
I’m tempted to say Scheierman but I really do think the sky is the limit for Hugo Gonzalez. His intensity and offensive rebounding should keep him on the floor as he continues to earn Mazzulla’s trust, and we’ve already seen those traits swing games for the Celtics.
Justin Leger: Producer, Multi-Platform Content
Biggest impact? Let’s go with Baylor Scheierman. He showed flashes of his potential throughout the season and topped it off with an incredible season-finale performance versus the Orlando Magic. I’m expecting him to have a key role off the bench this season. If we’re talking biggest breakout, we’ll roll with Hugo Gonzalez. Big things coming for him, especially on the defensive end.
Josh Canu: Editor
Baylor Scheierman. Once again, I think Scheierman is the pick here. His ability to both handle the ball and create shots for himself and teammates makes him a critical piece for the Celtics this season. The defense still leaves a little to be desired, but that will continue to develop with experience.
Nick Goss: Producer, Multi-Platform Content
Baylor Scheierman. I’m tempted to say Gonzalez, but Scheierman is further along in his development and actually took a nice step forward last season. He shot just under 40 percent from 3-point range and improved defensively. His playmaking ability is underrated, too. A good-sized uptick in scoring from him this coming season would not be surprising.
Michael Hurley: Producer, Multi-Platform Content
This time I won’t go with the obvious answer of Neemias Queta. Instead I’m going with Jordan Walsh, who’s definitely on the -ish end of the youngish scale as he enters his fourth year. I just think there were some stretches last season, especially early on, when he was quite simply much better than anybody thought he could be. I think back to the way he was locking down Tyrese Maxey on the defensive end early in the season, which came just after he hit a dagger 3 late in a win over Orlando. I think he can take a big step as a key bench piece if he can keep up a level of consistency. We know he has the motor.
Adam Hart: Executive Producer, Content Strategy
Younger(ish) is so ambiguous. That said, Forsberg was clearly hoping for a Hugo sweep here. Doing my part: Gonzalez is the answer.
Kevin Miller: Vice President, Content Creation and Strategy
Hugo Gonzalez
Jason Levine: Executive Producer, Content Integrations
Hugo Gonzalez
