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.
Jordan Walsh, Baylor Scheierman, Hugo Gonzalez and Ron Harper Jr. formed a reserve wing group that helped establish the team’s revolving door identity. Entering the rotation, falling out, and recapturing a spot again was the standard flow of things.
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.
Every few games, one would break out with a performance that made you think “Oh, this guy can play.” 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’ve been a piece of what was missing in their loss to the Sixers. The shrunken playoff rotation zapped some of their unpredictability.
While they’ve 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’s how I view this group of four.
4. Jordan Walsh
Walsh put together a very strong third season. After his sophomore campaign, it wasn’t 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’s a testament to his work ethic and growth.
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 allowed him to add value on the offensive end more consistently by finding gaps, making quick decisions and keeping the ball moving.
The challenge is that offensively, he’s still limited. The Sixers weren’t threatened by his shooting, and he finished the series 2-12 from three. Until that changes, it’s hard to justify his minutes when the game slows down.
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.
3. Ron Harper Jr.
I might be getting ahead of myself here, but I see it with Harper Jr.
We are talking about a newly 26-year-old with under 400 total NBA minutes. Even so, it almost feels like he’s too low on this list.
He has arguably the most well-rounded skill set of the bunch. At 6’5, 230 lbs with a 7’1 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.
The defense is clearly NBA-ready, but it’s the offense that’s 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’t large enough to be certain, but the flashes are hard to dismiss.
Brad Stevens called him a “stud” 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.
He’s 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.
In some ways, he’s reminiscent of Derrick White. Not to say that’s who he’ll become, but he brings a similar balanced two-way toolkit. Depending on how the offseason unfolds, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him slide into a starting role.
There’s 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’s best players, and looks capable of scaling up to take on more offensive responsibility.
With a team option heading into next year, he could be excellent value. If he gets the reps, there’s 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.
2. Baylor Scheierman
Baylor is good, and I’m not afraid to admit it.
Some things simply cannot be taught, and Scheierman’s competitiveness is one of them. He’s cut from the same cloth as Payton Pritchard – the type of player who lives for a moment to let the fans, opposing bench, or the broadcast crew hear about it.
His rookie year had fun flashes but the vision wasn’t clear. He looked more like a streaky gunslinger than a real complementary piece. His sophomore year couldn’t have been more encouraging.
He appeared in 77 games, shot 39.9% from three — second on the team behind only Luka Garza — and held that level in the playoffs. The shot was always the selling point, but it’s the ancillary skills that are more exciting. He has a unique array of finishes with floaters, turnarounds, and deceleration on his drives.
He’s 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.
The most important development might be the defense. Settling for playable on that end would have been fine, but he’s genuinely useful. The effort is obvious, but there’s strength, instincts and positioning behind it.
Scheierman has set himself up to be a key rotation piece for the foreseeable future.
1. Hugo Gonzalez
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.
There is more to his offensive game than we’ve seen. It isn’t polished yet, but he can finish with finesse or power. He’s flashed floaters, euro steps and explosive gathers in transition and half court settings. He’s still a project in some ways, but he’s starting from a strong foundation.
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 — 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.
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.
His youth is an advantage over everyone else on this list, but his impact is already showing up clearly. At 20, he’s the most intriguing of this group, and the one with the most room left to grow.
Brad Stevens said it plainly: “Hugo had a great rookie year and is, I think, a critical part of us moving forward… His athleticism can meet the moment in big games. That’s a real thing. You can see it.”
