Boston Celtics forward Jordan Walsh will enter his third season as a pro later this month when the team starts training camp. The former second-round pick has had limited opportunities with the Cs during his first two seasons, but has a serious chance to earn his keep in the 2025-26 campaign.
The Celtics will go into training camp with a far different roster than they’ve had since drafting Walsh. There’s far less star power in town after they traded away Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis with the goal of shedding salary.
“Yeah, it’s already weird, the energy is already different,” Walsh told NBC Sports Boston’s Chris Forsberg on the latest “Celtics Talk” podcast. “You can feel it, everybody is just trying to find their footing”.
Walsh, Baylor Scheierman, and Boston’s four rookies; Hugo Gonzalez, Amari Williams, Max Shulga, and RJ Luis Jr. have a chance to find a role for themselves this year, and it sounds like they’re all up for the challenge.
The 21-year-old Celtics forward likened summer workouts at the Auerbach Center to a “dog fight.”
“It’s a bunch of young guys who aren’t necessarily proven. There’s a lot of potential and unproven talent on the team. You can feel it in every workout. Everybody is going at each other’s necks. Everybody’s trying to earn that spot, earn that play time, earn that position. It’s like a dog fight right now.”
Jordan Walsh has put in the work to ensure he's ready when the Celtics call his number
Walsh is the most senior of the bunch and should see some opportunity, especially after an impressive showing at July’s NBA Summer League. He averaged 15.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game while shooting 46.3% from the field and 38.9% from beyond the arc across four appearances in Las Vegas.
Those stats don’t necessarily translate to guaranteed leap, but they’re certainly a step in the right direction. If nothing else, they’re a reflection of Walsh’s commitment to improving his game, something he put his focus on last season, despite the lack of a consistent role.
“I think that for me personally, I feel like I’ve been doing a lot of sitting. Last year I earned a little bit of playing time at the beginning of the year. As guys came back it went to the wayside so I tried to focus back on getting better and looking forward to that next opportunity and next chance. I think this year is going to be that chance and I’m looking to maximize every opportunity that I get on the floor. Every workout I do, every shot I take, everything I do is always think about what I’ll do in that moment.”
The moment may not be far away. There’s plenty of uncertainty surrounding Boston’s upcoming season as Jayson Tatum recovers from a ruptured Achilles tendon, which also opens the door for Walsh or another one of the team’s youngsters to show that they’re able to contribute to winning in the present and down the line.
“I think with JT out, it’ll create a big space for people to come in and fill those minutes. Obviously, I’m going to do my best to fill those minutes until he comes back. The focus is still if I get those minutes, how am I going to produce in those minutes and not hurt the team, but push them in a positive way so I earn more and more even when he does come back.”
Walsh has played an average of eight minutes across 61 NBA appearances in his pair of seasons with the Cs. It’s tough to make an impression in such short time, and even harder to find a rhythm.
If extended minutes truly are in store for Walsh, then they should tell the team, and the fanbase exactly what he’s made of -- and he knows that.
“How do I take advantage of my situation and start to build my legacy from here?”