Celtics' path to filling a crucial role has become obvious

It does not feel like hyperbole or recency bias to label this week the most important one in Jordan Walsh's career. The third-year wing has shut down Tyrese Maxey in crunch time and stood his ground against Memphis Grizzlies center Jaren Jackson Jr. On Sunday, he got put to the test against James Harden.

"That's the role, that's what you have to become, is a guy that can guard anyone on any given night, and he's embracing that," Joe Mazzulla told Hardwood Houdini after the Boston Celtics improved to 7-7, hanging on for a 121-118 victory vs. the Los Angeles Clippers to climb back to .500.

Walsh performed admirably against the former league MVP in the win at TD Garden. That includes blocking two of Harden's three-point attempts. Inexplicably, he only got credited for one. However, two possessions after doing so early in the third quarter, he fought over an Ivica Zubac screen, recovering to reject another one of the 11-time All-Star's shots from behind the arc.

And here's the truth about the three-time scoring champion's game-high 37 points: the majority of that came with another defender on him. Harden went 1/4 from the field against the six-foot-six wing. That includes those two [despite only getting credited for one] blocks.

The future Hall of Famer beat Walsh for a layup with under 1:20 left, with the Celtics leading by ten. That was his lone field goal against him. Where Harden got the best of the 21-year-old Texas native was the area he is likely the best of all-time in: drawing free throws.

The eight-time All-NBA selection is responsible for all five of Walsh's fouls. That led to ten of his 37 points, including three on a play in the fourth quarter, where the former Arkansas Razorback did a good job of contesting him, but his foot was in Harden's landing space.

In the final frame, the Clippers star produced five points at the free-throw line. He generated nine points from behind the arc. None of the latter came against Walsh.

That's a testament to the fact that as the whistles and trips to the free-throw line accumulated, Walsh knew he had to keep fighting. There was no room for a dip in energy, effort, or focus.

"You gotta have thick skin," emphasized Joe Mazzulla post-game. "You gotta have a level of vulnerability to know that at any point in time it could not go well, and you just have to do it. And I think that's developing the mental toughness of the young guys is like, you know, you're a target every single night. You gotta have thick skin. And I think he's developing that."

With how he did when matched up against Harden covered, here's how he fared as a help defender. Walsh watched as the latter made a three as he stepped up to challenge his attempt after the 16-year veteran came off a Zubac screen. It was a fine contest on a play where you tip your cap to the opposition.

Later, Walsh helped force a missed layup by Harden. However, Zubac cleaned it up. There was also a missed step-back three over a double-team that included the former at the end of the first half.

In that role, Walsh accumulated three steals. He stripped Harden as the former attacked downhill. He picked off his bounce pass as he tried to thread the needle to get John Collins a transition layup. He also scooped up the rock after Jaylen Brown knocked it free from Harden.

Brown also had Walsh's back on a Harden drive with under 2:20 left in the game. The latter delivered a forearm that made the young wing stumble, but help from the former Finals MVP, the low man on the near side, helped force a miss at the rim.

Walsh was also in proximity, encroaching on Harden as he fired a potential game-tying three at the buzzer that drew iron.

Despite the fouls, it capped a week of repeatedly passing high-level tests that showcased his defensive versatility and illustrated how he can carve out his place in Boston's rotation.

Jordan Walsh is filling a needed role

The third-year wing spent the first two weeks of the season confined to the Celtics' bench. He's capitalizing on his opportunity, showcasing the combination of effort, perhaps driven by the desperation of his circumstance, and maturation that are allowing him to thrive against wide-ranging assignments.

That growth and an increased ability to win with anticipation are allowing Walsh to tap into the combination of length and quick feet that can make him a defensive menace, pressuring the ball and forcing turnovers as a help defender.

"I think he's doing a heck of a job defending, voiced Payton Pritchard after the Celtics' win over the Clippers. We need that. He brings an energy, guarding the best [offensive player] every night, and I think that's his calling card, and he needs to continue it cause he has great potential in that area. And as offensive game grows, but his defensive game, that's what will keep him on the court."

Walsh's performance on that end of the floor has earned him two straight starts and 33 minutes of playing time on the parquet on Sunday.

The Celtics lost considerable defensive firepower. Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis, and Luke Kornet are gone. Jayson Tatum is rehabbing a torn Achilles tendon.

Furthermore, with Jaylen Brown shouldering an even more taxing load offensively, as much as he loves guarding the best perimeter player on the opposition, he and the team must be selective. However, the four-time All-Star always believed that Walsh could fill that void.

"We sit next to each other on the plane, so I talk to him all the time," Brown told Hardwood Houdini. "That's what this team needs, is somebody that can go out and guard your best player every single night. And even when Jordan wasn't playing, I was telling him that guy could be you. And he's got his opportunity, and he’s playing well right now. So, he's got to keep that going."

Walsh is showing he's fit for the role. Before him, Josh Minott was doing so. Hugo Gonzalez has also impressed with his motor and defensive instincts. However, the latter didn't play in Sunday's victory. Minott was only out there for 11:29.

In the battle for consistency, there will be ebbs and flows along the journey. An impressive week like Walsh just had could come with an underwhelming encore. From an individual standpoint, the thick skin Mazzulla mentioned is paramount to persevering.

From a team perspective, the Celtics knowing how many options they have to help a defense that's yielding the second-fewest points per game this season [109.2], comforts a concern entering the current campaign. It's also another reason to be optimistic about their ability to return to championship contention when Tatum's healthy.