Boston Celtics wing Jordan Walsh has Charlie Villanueva in his corner as a mentor. Tuesday, the 11-year veteran was at media day at Madison Square Garden in advance of Game 4 of the NBA Finals. There, the former seventh overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft shared his outlook on what was easily the third-year wing's most impactful professional season.
"He's been getting better every year. I know this year, he had a good run as far as when he was starting, he was playing very well," Villanueva told Bobby Manning of CLNS Media. "He had an up-and-down little season, but he's where he needs to be. He's getting better every year."
Walsh appeared in 65 games, including 25 starts, during the 2025-26 campaign. He averaged 5.4 points and 4.0 rebounds in 17.8 minutes of floor time. That includes generating 1.3 second-chance opportunities per contest. That was a vital part of Boston's success on offense this season.
In training camp, he stated that "role player IQ" and the work he put into his jump shot were the areas in which he made the most strides in the offseason. Specifically, ensuring he doesn't have "lazy feet," emphasizing displaying "quicker feet into the jump shot." That approach translated into him knocking down 38.4 percent of the 1.8 threes he hoisted.
Walsh's three-point proficiency will determine his ceiling. However, where he can truly be special is at the other end of the floor.
Charlie Villanueva wants defense to be Jordan Walsh's calling card
The former Arkansas Razorback can be an absolute menace on that side of the ball. He has quick feet and a seven-foot-two wingspan. It's a lethal combination that allows him to take away an opponent's air space. Those attributes also make him a disruptive help defender.
Villanueva knows as well as anybody that Walsh's path to steady playing time stems from what he can do on defense.
Charlie Villanueva spoke to @RealBobManning about mentoring Jordan Walsh & his 3rd season: "He's still young. He's so young. He's been getting better ... this year, he had a good run. He was starting, playing very well ... up-and-down, but he's where he needs to be." @CLNSMedia pic.twitter.com/zKIy5rVJEc
— Celtics on CLNS (@CelticsCLNS) June 9, 2026
"You want to stay on that court? They [are] gonna find minutes for you, so play defense," said Villanueva. "He can make a name for himself on the defensive end, and he can affect the game and impact the game. And offensively, I'm not worried about him. He'll come [along], as he matures, as he gets older. But the defense to me, that needs to be his signature, is locking up guys."
The six-foot-six wing has the potential to be on an All-Defensive team. The 22-year-old from Texas may never reach those heights, but he is that type of talent at that end of the floor.
There were moments throughout this year that provided glimpses of it. Those include holding James Harden to 1/4 shooting, limiting Tyrese Maxey to 1/3 in crunch time of a regular-season contest, and containing frontcourt players like Paolo Banchero and Karl-Anthony Towns.
After Walsh put the clamps on Harden in a November win, Payton Pritchard expressed a similar sentiment to Villanueva.
"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," said Pritchard. "His defensive game, that's what will keep him on the court."
It's the same message he got from Jaylen Brown. The five-time All-Star sat next to Walsh on the team plane this season. He would use their time flying through the clouds to deliver a grounded missive to the young wing. He wanted Walsh to fill the defensive void created by the Celtics' roster reshuffling and Brown needing to shoulder more offensive responsibility as Jayson Tatum rehabbed from a torn Achilles.
"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," shared Brown in mid-November.Â
It's not just Walsh's teammates and Villanueva who recognize this. Trust that the young wing sees this, too. He can build on the significant strides he made on offense this season. But the side of the ball that he can be special on, that will keep him on the court, is on defense.
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