LAS VEGAS — As Jordan Walsh missed shot after shot in his 2024 Summer League debut, visible frustration was brewing. And after a missed call under the basket that led to a Miami Heat fast break, the Boston Celtics wing let it out.
The irritation that had been stewing inside of him finally exhaled into a palpable reaction after the whistle wasn’t blown. He’s gotten mad at referees before, especially during his time with the Maine Celtics, but this was a night-long, introspective annoyance.
It was his worst performance since his days as a Razorback, and he’s ready to put it in the rear-view.
“I don’t ever want to hear about that game ever again,” Walsh said with a smile after practice on Monday.
Walsh ended the game with four points, five rebounds, and six fouls, shooting just 1-of-8 from the field and 0-of-6 from beyond the three-point line.
“It’s no secret- the first game for me was terrible,” he said.
But Walsh seems to have diagnosed what went wrong.
While in Maine, Walsh was placed in a primarily 3-and-D role, playing in a similar manner to how he would in Boston. In his first Summer League action of the year, he strayed away from that concept.
“I feel like my focus is at the wrong thing,” Walsh said. “I feel like I should have focused more on playing how I would play if Tatum were on the floor. And I feel like I was just thinking, like, I was the only guy on the floor.
“Not in a selfish way, but in the way that was, like, I wanted to get my shots and stuff like that. And I feel like I [focused] too much on making or missing shots, and I shouldn’t focus on [that].”
Walsh left college after just one year at Arkansas. Boston moved back and selected him in the second round, signing him to a four-year contract using the new second-round exception.
Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images
Throughout his time with the green, after coming into the league as a teenager, Walsh’s growth has been about much more than his on-the-court play.
The youngster’s mindset is still evolving, and his mess of a Summer League start was the latest example.
“That’s what I’m working on now. That’s what the guys have been talking to me about. The coaches,” Walsh said of always focusing on the next play. “I’m just trying to figure out a way to make myself think that that last shot went in and just move on to the next play.
“That probably was the biggest thing in my development and my growth, especially from last game, but from the whole season. So, it’s definitely something I’m working on. Hopefully, I can get my mentality up, I’ll forget that, [and move onto the] next play.”
Since entering the league, many different coaches have impacted Walsh, from Blaine Mueller, who is now with the Charlotte Hornets, to Ross McMains. The latest is Sam Cassell, who is with the team in Las Vegas.
“Sam Cassell told me about my focus on the team [after the loss to Miami],” Walsh said. “I’m not judged based on how many shots I make or miss. I’m judged off of the way I affect the game defensively, which is how I’m going to play with the Celtics.
“So, listening to that, I knew I had to change my mindset. And so, now I’m going into the next game being the defender I want to be, crashing the boards and stuff like that.”
Living in the past is not an option, especially when hoping to move up the ranks of a championship organization.
For Walsh, who is striving to make an impact in Boston as soon as this season, the rearview mirror is the enemy. But so is impatience. It’s a fine line, but one that those around him are eager to help him navigate.
“Joe on me one time, or DMac [DJ MacLeay] told me, ‘You get one care to give, and then you got to let it go,’” said Walsh. “So, I thought about yesterday, watched film on it, [and] I’ll watch film a little bit today. We’re gonna let it go and focus on this next game.”
