Life comes at you fast in the NBA.
The last time the Celtics played the Washington Wizards, Jordan Walsh wasn’t even in the rotation. Through Boston’s first eight games, he’d logged four DNP-CDs and totaled just 24 minutes, the fewest of any Celtic on a standard contract.
Most of those minutes (18:42) came in the second half of a blowout loss to Houston. The rest were garbage-time, aside from a brief 1:46 cameo in the second quarter at Madison Square Garden, his only meaningful run that night.
For a player entering what could reasonably be called a make-or-break year, the early signs weren’t encouraging.
But in that early-November matchup with Washington, something clicked. After a sluggish start for the Celtics, Walsh got his chance to make an impact, and he did. His energy shifted the game, and he finished with seven points, seven rebounds, two steals, and an assist in what was then a career-high 23:51.
He hasn’t left the rotation since.
Now, less than a month later — 29 days, to be exact — against the same Wizards who sparked his breakout, Walsh, starting his 10th straight game, delivered the best performance of his young career.
He finished with a career-high 22 points on a perfect 8-of-8 shooting, with seven rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a block, logging a +20 plus/minus in just 29 minutes. In his first career 20-point game, Walsh became only the ninth Celtic in franchise history to score 20+ points without missing a shot, and the first to do it since Robert Williams in 2021.
Walsh also became the only player in franchise history to score 20 or more points without missing a shot and make a three-pointer. He was 1-for-1, confidently knocking down his lone attempt from the wing.
“I thought Jordan set the tone for us, on both ends of the floor,” head coach Joe Mazzulla told reporters after the game. “He was unscreenable, did a great job making plays defensively. I thought offensively, he did a great job there.”
The Walsh breakout is real. Since receiving his first true rotation minutes, the Celtics are 10-4. Since he has been in the starting lineup, they are 8-2, tied for the second-best record in the NBA, trailing only the reigning champion, 21-1 Oklahoma City Thunder (10-0).
Over that stretch with Walsh as a starter, Boston ranks third in net rating (11.6), behind only the Thunder (16.0) and Rockets (13.6).
Of course, there are other factors to that. But Walsh has made his impact felt.
In the 14 games since Walsh has been getting rotation minutes, he ranks third in total rebounds (82, behind Neemias Queta and Jaylen Brown), second in offensive rebounds (27, behind Queta), second in steals (19, behind Derrick White), and second in blocks (17, behind Queta).
Over that stretch, he has more points (105) and steals (19) than he had in his first two NBA seasons combined. He is just seven rebounds and four assists shy of matching his previous career totals, despite playing 143 fewer minutes.
Walsh has starred in his role, bringing frantic, versatile defense, strong rebounding, and timely offense. Night in and night out, he sets the tone defensively, taking the opponent’s top assignment and making life miserable with his relentless ball pressure. He’s held James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Cade Cunningham, Tyrese Maxey, Anthony Edwards, Franz Wagner, and Jaren Jackson Jr. to a combined 10-of-46 (21.7%) shooting.
It’s not an easy job Walsh is asked to do, but he’s handled it admirably. With his size, length, and athleticism, he has always had the tools to become a real NBA contributor. And within the Celtics organization, his emergence hasn’t come as a surprise.
“It hasn’t come out of nowhere,” Mazzulla said. “To me, obviously, the games are the most important. But the workouts — if we shoot around at 10:30, the workout that starts at 9:45 is just as important as the game. The 30 minutes before practice are just as important. The way you do a shootaround is important. Film session. It’s just that he’s chipped away at taking advantage of every possible moment that he knows he has to get better. So it hasn’t come as a surprise at all.”
The third-year pro is just 21, and his path hasn’t been easy. Drafted in the second round at 19 years old by one of the deepest teams in recent memory, opportunities were scarce. Now that Walsh has earned his chance, he’s made the most of it and become a key contributor to Boston’s success.
“He’s gotten better every year, especially from what we see from behind the scenes,” Derrick White said. “He was kind of in a tough position with the guys who were in front of him. So coming into the year, it was a great opportunity for him, and he’s playing at a high level for us. This league is all about opportunity, and I wouldn’t really say he’s had much opportunity in his first two years. He’s got it now, and he’s definitely making the most of it.”
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