Celtics are finally getting the Jordan Walsh realization all over again

Jordan Walsh emerged as one of the most exciting stories of the early months ofthe Boston Celtics back in November. The 21-year-old forward became a staple in Joe Mazzulla’s starting lineup through the majority of Boston’s red-hot stretch from mid-November through mid-December.

He defended, rebounded, and scored extremely efficiently as the Celtics piled up the wins. Then, he got sick, missed a few games, and hadn’t looked the same since re-entering the rotation after Christmas.

Mazzulla even moved Walsh back to the bench against the Sacramento Kings on New Year's Day, which temporarily revived the former Arkansas standout. He logged a double-double to open 2026, but has mostly struggled to make an impact since.

Walsh, to his credit, played well in Monday’s loss to the Indiana Pacers, but what made him great during his peak was his ability to bring it on a nightly basis.

More wins could be in Boston's future if they get Jordan Walsh back to peak form

On Thursday, he took the next step towards re-establishing said consistency. He followed up a six-point, nine-rebound performance with four points and eight boards in Miami. Half of his rebounds came on the offensive glass, which served as a legitimately game-changing aspect of this one for Boston.

The Celtics tallied 31 second-chance points on a night where they needed the extra opportunities. They looked like a pack of zombies for the first six minutes of this game, and the scoreboard reflected it. They were down 19 by the time Walsh and his benchmates checked in to start their shift. Miami’s lead was down to 11 by the time the first quarter came to an end, thanks to the hustle throughout the reserve unit.

Boston fought, hustled, and Anfernee-Simonsed their way to a comeback win to snap their two-game skid.

Walsh, though not overly involved in the scoring, did look confident when offensive opportunities came his way.

Of course, Walsh is at his best when he’s impacting the game on defense. Not only did he get himself a highlight block, but he also fielded some important matchups at Kaseya Center on Thursday.

"Jordan's versatility goes unnoticed a little bit,” Mazzulla told reporters after his team’s 119-114 win. He's guarded [Bam] Adebayo both times we've played them... He's just a really physical guy who's really versatile on both ends."

Ultimately, that’s what the Celtics need from him -- his versatility. If Boston can rely on Walsh to make the most of his offensive opportunities while wreaking havoc on defense, then that’s really all they can ask for.

When he carried himself with confidence on a nightly basis earlier this season, Boston felt borderline unbeatable. Not to mention that the said “unbeatable” hoops came during a stretch of the schedule that many feared would eat the Cs alive. Instead, they logged wins over the Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic, and Toronto Raptors (twice).

It turns out that having an athletically gifted wing with a seven-foot-three-inch wingspan who can make threes at a low volume in the lineup directly impacts winning. Hopefully, the performances in these last two games help jumpstart Walsh’s game again.