Kendrick Perkins Believes Celtics Rookie Likely to Play ‘Quality Minutes’ in 2023

Getty Jordan Walsh

Former Boston Celtics champion Kendrick Perkins is a fan of their latest draft pick, Jordan Walsh. Following Walsh’s performance in the 2023 Las Vegas Summer League, Perkins explained on July 14 why the abilities Walsh displayed demonstrated why he believes the Celtics will give the 19-year-old a spot in their rotation.

“He has been phenomenal in the Summer League,” Perkins said on ESPN’s NBA Today. “Who needs Grant Williams when you’ve got Walsh in the building? His ability to stretch the floor (and) knock down three-point shooting. I believe he’s going to play quality minutes, and he’s relentless. He don’t care. (He) plays with a ton of energy, a ton of passion.”

In five games, Walsh averaged 16 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.5 steals a game while shooting 42.2% from the field and 40.7% from three.

After trading away frontcourt players like Grant Williams, Mike Muscala, and Danilo Gallinari, Walsh could very well carve out a role in the Celtics’ rotation. However, he will have some competition from players who play the same position as him. Most namely, Sam Hauser, Oshae Brissett, and Dalano Banton.

Jordan Walsh Credits Charlie Villanueva’s Example

Walsh has an autoimmune disease called Alopecia, which renders him hairless. Walsh credited former NBA player Charlie Villanueva for helping him cope with the condition while talking with The Athletic’s Jared Weiss and Mike Vorkunov.

“(Villanueva) was really helpful, more than anything off the court,” Walsh said of Villanueva. “Just with my head, my confidence, just stuff like that, because he understands what I’ve been through. I can tell him everything, and he’s been through the same thing. He’s got great advice.”

Villanueva, who played from 2005 to 2016 for the Toronto Raptors, Milwaukee Bucks, Detroit Pistons, and Dallas Mavericks, revealed what he told Walsh to help him through his tough times.

“One thing I told him is to make sure that you have Alopecia and Alopecia doesn’t have you,” Villanueva said. “He’s got to have control of this disease, regardless if your hair is coming back or not. Stay positive and use it as motivation to get to where you want.”

While Walsh was the No. 38 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, Villanueva was a lottery pick, being selected No. 7 in the 2005 NBA Draft.

Jordan Walsh Wants to Follow in Herb Jones’ Footsteps

In an interview with HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto, Walsh admitted that he would like to follow a similar career path to Herb Jones, another second-rounder from the 2021 NBA Draft who worked his way up to getting a four-year, $54 million extension from the New Orleans Pelicans this summer.

“A guy like Herb Jones was also a second-round pick who could guard one through four and does a lot of little things to win, is a guy I can relate to and am modeling myself after,” Walsh told Scotto. “At one point, I can become more of a point-forward type of player for an organization. It all starts with defense, and that’ll help me earn my stripes in the league.”

Many young NBA players try to model their games after the superstars that they watched growing up. Walsh trying to craft his game similar to a player who went on exceed the little expectations he had coming into the NBA could actually pay dividends because it balances the expectations he has for himself between realistic and optimistic.