Jordan Walsh has been a surprise starter in all three of the Boston Celtics‘ preseason games so far.
The fourth-year forward has impressed on defense. He’s set the tone, picked up the opposing team’s best player, and filled his role as a low-usage scoring threat. After the Celtics’ 114-93 win over the Charlotte Hornets on October 14, head coach Joe Mazzulla told the media why he’s been impressed with Walsh in his new role.
“Jordan continues to be really good at the start of games. Guarding the team’s best player, getting off to a good start defensively,” Mazzulla said. “Something he’s done well for us those last couple of games. It’s a huge role for him, that we’re going to need from him.”
Walsh signed a three-year, $15 million contract earlier this summer. However, you’d be hard-pressed to find many Celtics fans who believed Walsh would slot into a starting role this season. To be fair, there’s still no guarantee Walsh will be in the starting rotation when the Celtics face the Detroit Pistons in their October 20 season opener.
Mazzulla has multiple options at his disposal. Baylor Scheierman projects as the most logical starter next to Derrick White, assuming Payton Pritchard will be tasked with leading the second unit.
Walsh Starting Adds Balance To Celtics Rotation
The upside to starting Walsh is that it allows the Celtics to bring both Pritchard and Scheierman off the bench. As such, Boston has two reliable ball-handlers and shot creators as part of the second unit. Furthermore, Scheierman brings multi-positional defensive upside.
The overall rotation is better balanced with Walsh in the starting five. Sure, the Celtics lose a ball-handler and self-creator if they opt for Walsh next to White, but they also gain an elite defender who can set the tone and pressure the rim on downhill drives.
Mazzulla will likely experiment with his rotations in the coming months. As such, Walsh may start for a while before an opportunity is given to someone else. After all, the opening weeks of the season is about gathering as much information as possible.
Celtics Gear Up For Final Preseason Game
Mazzulla’s team will play its final preseason game on Friday, October 16. Boston will face the Philadelphia 76ers for the second time. It will be interesting to see whether Walsh is once again named in the starting five, or whether he’ll be active at all.
The Celtics will likely rest most of their veteran talent as they keep an eye on the Pistons in a few days. As such, like all preseason games, the result shouldn’t lead to too much analysis from the fanbase. After all, if the starters aren’t playing, it’s hard to get a read on the team’s development so far.
Nevertheless, we’re just days away from the regular season, and that’s when we’ll start getting a better feel for how good this team can be, with or without Walsh in the starting lineup.
Celtics’ Joe Mazzulla Explains Jordan Walsh’s Preseason Starting Role