Boston Celtics
"When I score, I low-key forget what happened. I'm so focused on getting back on defense."
Jordan Walsh
Jordan Walsh finishes dunk on his way to dropping 22 points against the Wizards (John McDonnell/AP Photo).
Jordan Walsh has been a surprising bright spot for the Celtics this season, as his defense has led him to earn a consistent spot in the starting lineup.
In his third year in the league, Walsh has often been giving the role of defending the opposition’s best scorer, a challenge he’s taken head-on.
However, Thursday night’s win over the Wizards showed Celtics fans that Walsh can get it done on both ends of the floor, as he dropped a career-high 22 points on a perfect 8-of-8 shooting. This is the second game in a row he hasn’t missed a shot, after going 4-of-4 from the field against the Knicks on Tuesday.
Even with this offensive burst from Walsh, though, his priority will always be the defensive side of the ball.
Advertisement:
“Honestly, I be forgetting what happened on offense,” Walsh told reporters after the game. “When I score, I low-key forget what happened. I’m so focused on getting back on defense. But then whenever I get, like, a steal and a dunk, or, like, a steal or a rebound, like, that stays with me.”
This mindset now has Walsh starting in 10 straight games, and has helped lead the Celtics to go 8-2 in that run, and a 13-9 record overall. He has already had to face elite scorers in Tyrese Maxey, Donovan Mitchell, and more, and has shown he can handle this role.
Advertisement:
Walsh claims this defensive focus has been there his whole life, as he never had the same mindset most people have.
“Yeah, I don’t know why, it’s weird,” Walsh stated when asked if his priority has always been defense. “I feel like everybody’s always excited when they dunk on somebody or hit a three. If I just hit a shot, I never celebrate. I always immediately just run back to, like, play defense.”
However, with the Jaylen Brown being out Thursday, Walsh knew everybody else, including him, would have to step up scoring the ball.
“With JB being out it opens up a lot for, not just me, but everybody to come in and, you know, get a little bigger piece of the pie,” Walsh explained.
The Celtics will hope Walsh will continue his run of perfect shooting when they host the Lakers on Friday night.
Get the latest Boston sports news
Receive updates on your favorite Boston teams, straight from our newsroom to your inbox.