Jordan Walsh emerges as a key player through Celtics’ struggles: “We’re going to need him”

Walsh recorded career-highs this past weekend — but he’s earning the respect of his teammates for what he’s doing off the floor.

By almost every account, the Celtics have played their most inconsistent regular-season basketball in nearly two years. After losing 4 of 6, Derrick White called these past few weeks the “toughest stretch” of his tenure as a Celtic. Jayson Tatum has said everyone needs to look in the mirror and be better. Joe Mazzulla diagnosed the issues as “part effort, part focus.”

It’s a stretch of basketball that has called for new postgame press conference talking points, new sub-patterns — and new players in the rotations.

Amid the chaos, twenty-year-old Jordan Walsh has played the most extensive minutes of his young NBA career. Walsh played a combined 40 minutes in two games against the Pacers this past weekend — the most he’s ever played in a two-game span.

On Friday, he helped power the Celtics to a blowout win, accruing 9 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals — all exceeding or tying personal career highs.

But, above that, it’s his defense that has stood out.

“You have to really watch the possessions,” Joe Mazzulla said after Friday’s win. “He stands guys up. He doesn’t open up his hips on angles. He’s physical. He got like two rebounds outside of his area. So he’s continuing to get better on the small things that really matter.”

In an ideal world, Walsh’s contributions wouldn’t be necessary. He’s still early in his developmental plan and an unproven shooter who spent the entirety of last season in Maine. And, after a rough Summer League, he seemed destined for more time in the G League.

But, the Celtics’ have been hampered with more injuries this season than last. Porzingis has only played in 11 of 32 games, and he left early with various injuries in three of them. Holiday (shoulder, knee) has missed 6 games, Brown (hip) has missed 5, and Hauser (back) has missed 7 — all dealing with a slew of recurring injuries they didn’t have last year.

In turn, Walsh played 21 minutes on Friday and followed that up with a 19-minute performance on Sunday. In Friday’s blowout win, he was a +16, In Sunday’s 9-point loss, he was a +4, the best plus-minus of any rotation player.

“I like Jordan a lot — but we’re down two guys,” Mazzulla said when asked about his decision to play Walsh extended minutes. “I would say our health has presented that opportunity. He’s done a good job at it.”

Jayson Tatum stressed that Walsh’s contributions to the team are a matter of necessity.

“We feel like we’re going to really need him to have the success that we want to as a team,” Tatum said. “So, it’s about letting him know that he’s important — and you need him. It’s his job to be ready and stay ready when his time is called.”

So far, where he’s excelled the most has been on the defensive end.

“He’s had some great physical defensive possessions. He has an understanding of the NBA defense, different coverages, and tendencies,” Mazzulla said. “His ability to be active, his offensive rebounding has been really good.”

On the season, Walsh is shooting 24.1% from three, but the sample size is tiny — he’s made 7 of 29 three-point attempts. In his sole G League game, which he requested to play in, he exploded for 20 points on 3-6 from downtown.

“He’ll continue to work on his shot, which I think has gotten better,” Mazzulla said. “The biggest thing for young guys is earning a defensive identity, and also the respect of the players around you. He does that with his attitude and his work ethic.”

For Walsh, it’s been all been about staying ready.

“I could go six, seven games DNPs, not playing, and then you’re thrown into a game like this expected to succeed and expected to excel in your role,” Walsh said, per MassLive. “So it can be tough at times, but always keep the mentality of even when you catch three, four DNPs, that fifth game going in with the mentality of, ‘Oh, I’m going in at the three-minute mark, four-minute mark, whatever it is.”

After about a year and a half with the organization, he’s earned the respect of his teammates.

“He’s just a guy that’s put in the work — before practice, during practice,” said Derrick White. “He’s somebody that wants to learn and get better. And, when his number is called, he’s going in there, and he’s working really hard.”