Monster Jordan Walsh performance shows insane growth in short period of time

BOSTON — Jordan Walsh looks amazing. Following a couple of solid preseason performances, Walsh delivered the crown jewel on Sunday night in the Boston Celtics’ 115-111 win over the Toronto Raptors. Everything the Celtics should want to see from him, he did, and that’s a huge sign of growth.

Just a few months ago, Walsh was struggling through Summer League. It looked like all of his confidence was gone, and he couldn’t buy a three-point basket. Now, he’s comfortable, calm, cool, collected, and was one of the better players on the floor against the Raptors. To see that sort of improvement in such a short period of time is very impressive.

Walsh stock is growing.

Jordan Walsh stock is on the rise

After the game, head coach Joe Mazzulla praised Walsh’s development over the past year since the Celtics drafted him in the 2023 offseason.

“Yeah, just have an understanding of what his job is,” Mazzulla said. “Defend at a high level, defend multiple positions, rebound, and then make reads on the offensive end. So, he's doing a great job. Just really proud of his growth. 

“Him, the player development team, the work they put in with him. He works hard at it. But starting to carve out a role and just showing a really good attitude towards it. So it's been fun to watch him grow.”

Watching Walsh struggle in Summer League brought his stock to an all-time low. His complete lack of a three-point shot was a result of inconsistent mechanics and a lack of confidence.

He could not have had any more of a turnaround from then to now.

The confidence with which Walsh has been playing during the preseason has been very fun to watch. Whether the ball has the ball in his hands or he’s playing off the ball, he looks great.

It’s very clear that the game has slowed down for him since Summer League, and he got to show that on Sunday against NBA-level competition.

Obviously, there’s a slim chance that Walsh will find a way to crack the rotation this year. But that’s less an indictment of his skill set and more of a testament to how talented the Celtics’ roster is.

If Walsh can play at the level he did on Sunday, there’s no reason he couldn’t fit in with Boston’s regular rotation guys.

Moving forward, if the Celtics continue to invest in Walsh’s development, they could have a legitimate rotation piece in a couple of years. And if they can keep him around on a reasonable contract, it would be a massive win.