The Celtics are 10-2 since Jordan Walsh entered the starting lineup.
The Celtics are 10-2 since Jordan Walsh entered the starting lineup.Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff
Lakers guard Austin Reaves’s offensive explosion has been one of the biggest surprises of this NBA season. The 27-year-old is averaging a career-high 28.9 points per game on 50.9 percent shooting and has emerged as a likely first-time All-Star.
Few defenders have managed to slow him, so it felt notable last Friday when he singled out one who had.
“He just plays hard as crap every single possession,” Reaves said of Celtics forward Jordan Walsh. “[He doesn’t] take a possession off. His ability, his length, his athleticism. He’s physically gifted, moves really well. I could see him being one of the best defenders in the league for many years to come.”
Reaves scored a team-high 36 points in his team’s 126-105 loss, but hardly any of that damage was inflicted against Walsh. The third-year wing logged a team-high 23 possessions guarding Reaves, and Reaves was 0 for 3 from the field and mustered just 3 points with Walsh as his primary defender. This was no isolated incident.
On Nov. 30, Walsh matched up against Cavaliers superstar Donovan Mitchell for 43 possessions and Mitchell tallied just 4 points on 2-of-8 shooting against Walsh. In the Celtics’ win over the Knicks last Tuesday, Walsh tussled with All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns for 16.9 possessions and held him to 1-of-4 shooting. In the Celtics’ win over the Raptors on Sunday, Walsh guarded All-Star Scottie Barnes for 24.9 possessions, and Barnes was just 1 for 3 from the field with a turnover.
Furthermore, the Celtics are 10-2 since Walsh entered the starting lineup, helping them vault to No. 3 in the Eastern Conference standings.
Before the Celtics faced the Raptors, coach Joe Mazzulla was asked about Reaves’s comments. Mazzulla is usually reluctant to pour on praise, particularly when it is a young player such as Walsh who still has plenty to prove.
But Mazzulla mostly agreed with the sentiment that Walsh could become one of the best defenders in the NBA.
“He’s definitely on that path,” Mazzulla said. “It takes time to get there. It takes reps. It takes the mind-set, which he has. I think he is on the path. He’s taking ownership of what that role looks like and what the responsibility is every night with the preparation, and obviously with what he’s been doing during the game.”
As Walsh sat at his locker after the win, he perked up when he heard that Mazzulla shared Reaves’s belief.
“For me, it’s a step,” he said. “It’s a first step in trying to solidify that legacy and that reputation. Obviously, it’s going to take time. It’s going to take more than a month and more than a year. But for that to be the first step this early, I think, is a great sign.”
Walsh said his defensive impact will not always be measured in blocks or steals or an opponent’s missed shots. Rather, by relentlessly deploying full-court pressure defense against a ballhandler, he can turn a possession into a chore before it truly begins.
“So when they get into their offense and cross halfcourt, a third of the shot clock is gone, and they’re starting their offense all the way at halfcourt rather than at the 3-point line,” Walsh said. “I think that makes a huge difference. So just kind of noting that little stuff is small wins for me that people don’t really see or notice.
“It’s so much harder for a team to start running a play at 14 seconds than it is at 18 or 19. So those small wins, I think, are adding up together to make me think, ‘All right, I’m doing a good job.’ ”
But Walsh was quick to point out that he had not played his finest game Sunday. Sure, he registered three steals and helped limit Barnes. But he also fouled out in 26 minutes. He shook his head as he thought about that.
“I felt like I was hacking tonight,” he said. “I shouldn’t be fouling out of a game. I feel like I could be way more disciplined. I don’t think I was necessarily making reckless plays. I think it was just solid plays. I think I was going for the home run a little too much. Maybe I got too used to just taking the ball from somebody and going to dunk it. So, from this game I think I’m learning that sometimes you can do that, but sometimes I have to be solid, because I need to be on the court. I want to affect the game and help us win, and I can’t do that if I’m on the sidelines.”
Adam Himmelsbach can be reached at adam.himmelsbach@globe.com. Follow him @adamhimmelsbach.