Newest comment about Jordan Walsh should get sicko Celtics fans excited

There are millions of Boston Celtics fans all over the world. Jayson Tatum has been one of the top selling jerseys of the past few years. They just won the NBA Championship. Everyone has their eyes on Boston. But it takes a true fan to keep up with the nitty gritty of the team, and Jordan Walsh’s development certainly falls under that category.

Only the true Celtics sickos were invested in his performance at Summer League, and unfortunately, they were disappointed. Walsh didn’t play particularly well in Summer League this offseason. He shot very poorly from three and was super erratic in almost every game. But so far this preseason, he’s been alright.

And Joe Mazzulla’s latest comment about Walsh should have fans’ eyebrows perking up a bit.

Joe Mazzulla just hyped up Jordan Walsh

After Boston’s second straight preseason win over the Denver Nuggets in Abu Dhabi, Mazzulla praised Walsh’s improvements since joining the team in the summer of 2023. (H/t Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe)

“He’s gotten a lot better,” Mazzulla said. “I really enjoyed watching him play and just sticking to the details. He crashed defensively, and he was in the right position defensively. Offensively he made great reads and he just made the simple play and I thought he played with a sense of toughness.”

Walsh spent most of his rookie season in Portland with the Maine Celtics. In 27 appearances with Maine, Walsh played 29.7 minutes per contest. He averaged 14.7 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.2 assists while shooting 42.8% from the floor and 36.1% from deep on 5.7 three-point attempts per game.

As noted, Summer League was a rough patch for the youngster, as he made just four of his 30 three-point attempts. And while the preseason hasn’t been amazing in terms of his shooting, he’s done everything else well.

Through two games, Walsh has shot 2-of-9 from three, but he’s been much more in control. Rather than sprinting around the court with very little direction, he’s been fairly composed on both ends.

He’s only committed four fouls in two games, and his playmaking has stood out. Walsh dished out four assists in the first game and one in the second, showing off a part of his game that rarely gets to shine.

On top of that, Walsh also tallied three blocks in the first game and two steals in the second, displaying perhaps the best part of his game—defense.

If Mazzulla is seeing an improvement, that’s a great sign for Walsh moving forward. He likely won’t see much playing time this year, but the Celtics clearly still believe in him.