The Celtics fell short against the 76ers on Tuesday night but the emergence of one reserve stood out yet again. Jordan Walsh saw crunch time minutes for the second straight game and earned a spot in the starting five over Josh Minott in the second half of a 102-100 defeat in Philadelphia.
It was the fourth straight strong performance for Walsh who stuffed the box score with eight points, seven rebounds, two steals and two blocks in 29 minutes. Defensively, Walsh stood tall in crunch time against Tyrese Maxey, getting three consecutive stops on the Sixers top scorer that helped give Boston a chance to win in crunch time and led to increased playing time for the 21-year-old.
“I knew the scouting report,” Walsh told reporters in Philadelphia. “It was to make him do things he’s not comfortable doing and make him take shots that we’re comfortable with him taking.”
After being on the outskirts of the rotation to begin the year, Walsh has now played 19 minutes or more in four straight games, posting strong work with his defense and on the boards. He’s grabbed six or more rebounds in all four games while tallying a steal in each contest.
“He’s learning the understanding of the identity,” Joe Mazzulla said Tuesday night. “The effort that he plays with on the defensive end, the different ways that he could play-make on the offensive end, whether it’s screening, whether it’s offensive rebounding, knocking down open shots, which he’s done. So, he’s just getting better and better and gotta keep it up.”
The strong work on the glass along with some improved 3-point shooting is also earning him more trust from his teammates.
“Jordan was great tonight,” Jaylen Brown said. “He’s shooting the ball well, he’s doing his job. So, it’s a good sign from Jordan.”
The Celtics have gotten some nice production from their young wings across the roster to begin the year in Minott and Hugo Gonzalez as well but Walsh’s defensive versatility and rebounding makes him an appealing candidate for more playing time. He has more familiarity with this roster than Boston’s other new additions, making him an intriguing fit for a bigger role moving forward.
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