After seasons of growth, adjustment, and the search for a meaningful role, the ascension of Jordan Walsh is now officially underway.
What makes his emergence even more remarkable is how unlikely it seemed even heading into this season. Fresh off a standout Summer League, Walsh looked poised to make noise—until a preseason injury slammed the brakes. Then, Josh Minott and Hugo Gonzalez erupted onto the scene, making his climb to meaningful minutes look steeper than ever.
The 21-year-old wing started the year only playing 5 minutes and 18 seconds combined in the first six games. No one wants to get blown out, but on November 3rd, the Houston Rockets took the Celtics behind the woodshed, not knowing how it would propel The Wolf of Walsh Street.
He ended up getting his first extended run of the season by playing 19 minutes and scoring 10 points. And then… nothing. The next game came, and Walsh never left the bench. What we didn’t know was that someone at the top of the rotation would help get the youngster more looks.
According to Walsh, it was Jaylen Brown who talked to coach Joe Mazzulla and advocated for him to take on the challenge of guarding the opposing team’s top players. Watching that belief pay off, especially after a signature win over the Knicks, was super cool to see.
“I feel like me and his connection you know off the court and on the court have grown so much and come so far,” Walsh reflected after the win. When Brown was asked about Walsh’s big time clutch performance he said, “I’m starting to see Jordan man, he playing like a grown man and it’s amazing to see.”
Mazzulla also praised Walsh, saying, “to me, the last six minutes of the game he was just a great playmaker.”
This was in reference to a stretch where Walsh showcased things like offensive rebounding, defense, and most noticeable, his passing.
Down the stretch the Knicks decided to blitz Brown on pick and rolls, leaving Walsh open to make plays in the seam and the short roll. He may have only gotten one assist on these three plays, but he made the right decision every time.
“Whenever they’re super aggressive on him [Brown] like tonight where they’re double teaming him, he’s gotta have help. I’m glad it was me in those moments to be able to help him,” Walsh explained. The good thing about seeing him succeed in that role is that it’s becoming consistent.
In a clutch game on the road against the Orlando Magic, the defense opted to get the ball out of Brown’s hands too, and Walsh was able to make do with the numerical advantage.
He showed the short roll ability again vs. Orlando but this time at home. The first play is what I believe to be the best pass of his career. His roll draws Brown’s defender off the corner, and he goes up like he’s shooting which gets them off their feet. He then fires it all in one motion into Brown’s shooting pocket for the three. He catches the second one in traffic and delivers it to Brown again.
Walsh excels at crashing the offensive glass, turning rebounds into opportunities to exploit a scrambling defense. In the first clip, he pump fakes Evan Mobley before dumping it off to Xavier Tillman. In the second, he makes a quick, cerebral read to set up another rim assist.
Even though I saw some signs of him being able to pass early on, he wasn’t totally comfortable making the reads.
When asked about how far he’s come in those situations and whether the game is slowing down for him, he responded, “Oh yeah, absolutely. I think I’m way more calm, way more focused and obviously slowed down a lot.” He also admitted that he was “a mess his rookie year” and “was just running around.”
From early-season setbacks to earning the trust of his teammates and coaches, Walsh’s journey this year is a testament to growth, resilience, and timing. The rise of Jordan Walsh isn’t just underway, it’s impossible to ignore.
