Jordan Walsh just pulled a Marcus Smart in the best way possible for the Celtics

After making a solid impression in his first game back in the Boston Celtics rotation, Jordan Walsh got an even closer look in their latest victory over the Charlotte Hornets. At first glance, Walsh didn't fare too great, shooting one-for-seven from the field, including four missed threes, but he did snare seven rebounds and finished with a plus/minus of plus-14.

The only Celtic with a higher plus/minus was Jayson Tatum, thus demonstrating that, despite his shooting struggles, Walsh was not hurting Boston. In fact, he was helping them. Celtics fans should be excited by this because this is a carbon copy of the statlines Marcus Smart used to put up in his heyday with Boston.

Celtics legendary YouTuber Tomasz Kordylewski best summarized these kinds of performances back when Smart played for the team.

Smart's calling card was the energy and hustle he provided on a nightly basis. It's why Boston could stomach his bad shooting nights. In fact, because of the "winning plays" he would make, the bad shooting in a way brought some charm to his performances.

The similarities between the two are staggering. Walsh's shot selection isn't as erratic or bombastic as Smart's was, but despite his shot being flat, he still made it clear the kind of impact he makes when he's on the floor, just like Smart used to.

For the record, this was the only time Walsh scored.

But anyone who was watching could see why the Celtics started him, let alone played him almost 34 minutes.

The Celtics trusted Walsh against the Hornets' best players

I'ts not like Walsh made some ridiculous hustle playu like Smart used to, but Boston played him as much as they did because they trusted his airtight perimeter defense. His big assignment yesterday was LaMelo Ball, who's been monumental in Charlotte's turnaround this season.

But against Walsh, the guy barely had any room to breathe. Per NBA.com, Ball scored seven points while shooting two-for-nine when Walsh was covering him, including shooting one-for-six from three, to go with three turnovers.

Ball finished with 19 points while shooting seven-for-19 from the field, and it's clear Walsh played a hand in why he simply couldn't get going. He wasn't the only one, as Walsh did some damage to Brandon Miller as well. The third-year rising star didn't score once

Again, this is what Smart used to do for Boston, which made him so beloved even if his performances always came with a "warts and all" disclaimer. In fact, it's not like he's lost that much of a step since leaving the Celtics.

For the record, Walsh really isn't that bad of a shooter and just had a bad game in that regard, so while pulling a Marcus Smart is awesome, it's fair to say that Walsh is capable of making a Smart-like impact while also making some shots, which not only shows his value but should also make the Celtics think about his long-term role on the team.