Jordan Walsh reveals his biggest difference maker after massive week for Celtics

Jordan Walsh found himself in the right corner with a chance to ice a Boston Celtics win in Orlando on Sunday. He caught the swing pass from Payton Pritchard, looked towards the basket, and fired. Walsh’s shot found the bottom of the net and gave the Celtics a five-point lead with 15 seconds to play.

How can a guy who spends most of his time on the bench be so cool in a big moment like that?

Paying attention, and being prepared.

“Throughout the course of the game, my man would leave me and go help, so I knew that, going through the game, if I slowed down, was ready for my shot, that it would eventually come,” Walsh explained to NBC Sports Boston’s Kayla Burton after the 111-105 win over the Magic.

Even before the 21-year-old made the big shot, his inclusion in head coach Joe Mazzulla’s closing lineup was a story. 

If you told Celtics fans last weekend that they’d witness Walsh, not only on the floor for crunch time, but hitting the dagger shot, they’d think you were crazy.

His four clutch-time minutes were the first of his pro-career, not including his one clutch appearance towards the end of last season. More or less, it’s the first time he’s ever seen the floor in the deciding minutes of a meaningful NBA game.

How did we get here?

Let’s start big picture, shall we?

What a week it's been for Jordan Walsh

Last Saturday night, the Celtics got absolutely stomped by the Houston Rockets. It was Boston’s fifth game in seven nights, and the outcome of the game was clear from the opening tip.

The Cs had nothing in the tank.

A lopsided three quarters led to 12 minutes of “garbage time” to end the night, giving Walsh his first extended run of the season. Up until that point, he’d totalled just over five and a half minutes on the year. He wound up playing 18 against Houston, tallied 10 points and four rebounds, and made the most of the extra playing time.

“I thought Jordan, you know, even though he had a minute and a half in the New Orleans game and a minutes and a half in the Cleveland game, played really well tonight, did some good things,” Joe Mazzulla praised following the loss to Houston. “So we just have to keep putting forth possessions so that we can continue to develop the way we want to play.”

That outing, though void of meaning at the time, sparked an impressive week from Walsh, though he received a DNP-CD in Boston’s very next game against the Utah Jazz.

Not to be dramatic, but that could be the last one of those he sees for quite some time. Two days later, the 21-year-old impressed in 24 minutes vs. the Washington Wizards. His energy made for an inspired seven-point, seven-rebound performance, and led Walsh to finish second on the team in plus/minus with a +27 off the bench.

Even in the first Orlando game, Walsh made his presence known without filling up the statsheet. The third-year wing played a key role during the second quarter, helping Boston stay in the game after a slow start. He brought chaos on the defensive end, making things difficult on the Magic and cooling off their red-hot offense.

It’s clear that the consistent playing time over the past week has done something for Walsh’s confidence. He doesn’t look like he’s second guessing himself and he’s playing confident basketball.

That confidence has reached beyond just his mind, it’s rubbed off on Mazzulla, and Walsh’s teammates.

“He’s turned it on and he’s had that sense of urgency as if he’s playing like his basketball life is on the line,” Mazzulla explained Sunday, via CLNS Media.

Mazzulla’s faith in Walsh was evident even before his postgame press conference. Boston’s man in charge challenged the young forward to guard Magic star Paolo Banchero in the fourth quarter.

He was ready. Walsh stayed calm, avoided committing silly fouls, and made things difficult for the former No. 1 overall pick. Banchero’s one make with Walsh defending him came after Walsh had knocked the ball loose and failed the recover it, leading to an open stepback jumper.

For added context, Banchero had 14 fourth-quarter points, and the Magic were running screen actions to getting Derrick White, an All-Defensive level guard onto him, rather than Walsh.

“Big time shot… he gets rewarded by playing hard these past few games,” Jaylen Brown praised, via CLNS Media. “Finishes the game for us. Defensively, he was great. And then caps it off with a big-time shot to help us win the game.”

Minutes in the Celtics’ rotation have been volatile to start the season. Anyone outside of the top-six could play 20 minutes one night, then not see the floor in the next. There’s no guarantee that Walsh plays rotation minutes every night from here on out, but the preparation that’s made this week magical for him, should do the same the next time his number is called.

“I didn't know how to prepare for a game,” Walsh reflected on his early NBA days, via CLNS media. “I didn't know what it looked like. I was just a kid coming out of college, just wanting to play.”