BOSTON — The Boston Celtics molly-whopped the Indiana Pacers on Friday night, bouncing back from a pair of tough losses against the Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers. Jaylen Brown led the way with a season-high 44 points, but a bunch of other players churned out impressive performances. Including Jordan Walsh.
Though Walsh only played 20:56, including some garbage-time minutes, he made the most of his opportunity. It marked a career-high in minutes for Walsh, and he also put up a career-high nine points. He looked great on both ends of the floor, and it’s clear that his developmental track is on a good pace.
But Joe Mazzulla’s comment about his game may have been the most significant part of Walsh’s evening.,
Joe Mazzulla loves what he saw from Jordan Walsh
After the win, Mazzulla went in-depth on what he saw from Walsh, and it went well beyond the shots he made.
“ obviously made a great read on his shot, but he had really good, physical defensive possessions that you don't see,” Mazzulla said. “You have to really watch the possessions. He stands guys up. He doesn't open up his hips on angles. He's physical. He got like two rebounds outside of his area. So he's continuing to get better on the small things that really matter.”
From the moment the Celtics drafted Walsh, it was clear that defense was going to be his calling card. Three-point shot-making may be his pathway to real minutes in Boston, but his defense is his best asset.
He showed that on Friday, as he made some nice plays on that end of the floor, slowing down Indiana whenever he got the chance.
At just 20 years old, the sky is the limit for Walsh, and it’s clear that the Celtics still believe in him as a prospect. Mazzulla wouldn’t be playing him big minutes if they didn’t.
Earlier in the year, Mazzulla said that he only puts guys that he trusts on the floor. While Walsh may not be getting the most minutes in the world, he certainly falls under that category at this point.
He’s consistently gotten chances early in games. Not just garbage time minutes. And this may have been the best performance of his young NBA career.
Walsh still has a ton of room to grow, but he’s made a ton of progress since his rookie season. And if Mazzulla likes what he’s seeing, that’s a great sign of what’s to come for the youngster.