The rumors are true; I was one of the original architects of Jordan Walsh Island. But even I would never have predicted that through eight games of the regular season, Jordan Walsh would have this big of a role.
Walsh has played in seven of the Celtics’ eight games and is averaging 10.8 minutes in those games. I thought it was possible that by the end of the season, Walsh could have earned close to Oshae Brissett’s 630 minutes from last season. But this early in the season? It is atypical for the coach of a veteran-laden team to lean on a 20-year-old second-round pick, but now that I mention it, Joe Mazzulla is the definition of atypical. So maybe I shouldn’t be surprised.
Part of Jordan Walsh’s ascension in the rotation has been due to injury (and blowouts). Sam Hauser missed a few games, and now Jaylen Brown being out has opened the door for Walsh to get more burn. Nevertheless, here we are and the Jordan Walsh takeover is underway.
The offense continues to be a work in progress. It’s a very small sample, but he hasn’t converted his three-point attempts; Walsh is currently shooting 16.7% from three, which is not what we’re looking for. However, he has only taken twelve three-pointers, so I won’t make any declarations about his shot at this time. I think the offense will come as he gets more comfortable, and his confidence grows with more playing time. In the meantime, if he shoots his open threes, crashes the offensive glass, and runs in transition, he won’t slow down the absurdly dominant offensive machine the 2024 Boston Celtics have built.
In the end, Jordan Walsh’s calling card as a draft prospect was his defense. Over the past few games, he has settled into that reputation. In the preseason, Walsh had trouble keeping opposing players in front of him; he was biting on jab steps and getting out of position.
This was not the case against the Atlanta Hawks. Check out Jordan Walsh guarding Jalen Johnson in isolation. Jalen Johnson, who just signed a five-year, 150 million dollar contract extension. is averaging 18 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists.
Walsh does a great job keeping the twitchy Johnson in front of him and uses his body to take the bump from the stronger player, which forces Johnson into a midrange fadeaway. Thanks to Walsh’s infinite wingspan, he doesn’t just contest the shot, he blocks the freakishly athletic Johnson.
If Walsh can at least somewhat keep players in front of him, he will be a problem for offensive players. Walsh’s seven-foot-two wingspan combined with his explosive athleticism should allow him to recover and bother opponents’ shot attempts in a way that most defenders cannot.
An area I’m confident Jordan Walsh can excel is as a help defender. Tell me this play doesn’t remind you of someone.
Walsh shows help at the nail, forcing the ball handler to pick up their dribble and kick the pass to the corner, where Walsh is waiting, ready to take the pass the other way. Is no one coming to mind?
I’m not saying Jordan Walsh is going to be as good as Jayson Tatum when it comes to defending off the ball. Tatum is one of the best off-ball defenders in the NBA. However, Walsh has the tools to replicate what Tatum does when helping on players driving into the lane.
The strides Jordan Walsh has already taken this season are encouraging. As Walsh settles in, I’m hopeful he will continue to increase his impact on the defensive end.
