For a continuous three minutes, the TD Garden crowd erupted in cheers so thunderous that one could easily mistake it for a playoff game. It was a mid-January matchup, a 25-point blowout against one of the league’s weakest teams – a seemingly inconsequential regular-season game. However, as the clock ticked down, every Celtics fan present yearned to witness 19-year-old Jordan Walsh’s inaugural basket in the NBA. Although his first three-point attempt didn’t find the mark, the spirited crowd, shouting ‘swing it’ at his teammates, played a role in crafting a lasting memory.
Reflecting on the moment, Walsh remarked, “To actually be able to get in and play, and be able to show people that I do have the ability to hoop — it’s an amazing feeling. It’s a milestone in my life that I’ll never forget.”
Walsh finished the night with four rebounds in three minutes of action. Ironically, that means that for a fleeting moment, he leads the NBA in rebounds per 48 minutes, as several people noted after his debut.
“I saw that actually,” Walsh told me, chuckling. “That was pretty funny, my friends sent it to me. We had a good laugh.”
Walsh has returned to Maine, his primary location for the majority of the season. Following his NBA debut against San Antonio on Wednesday night, he swiftly made his way back to Portland, where he had been assigned to play at the end of October. Upon his initial move to Maine after the Boston training camp, Walsh found himself among teammates and coaches who had already formed a strong camaraderie during weeks spent together. Despite the established bonds, they made a concerted effort to welcome and integrate him into the team.
“They welcomed me with open arms,” Walsh expressed. “They appreciate the passion I have for the game and my strong work ethic.”
Acknowledging the limited entertainment options in Maine, he confessed, “There isn’t a whole lot to do, but one of my favorite activities is going to restaurants with my coaches and teammates. When you get a chance to eat with your team, you should take that chance. I definitely take advantage of that,” he added with a laugh.
Hailing from Texas and having attended college in Arkansas, Walsh has found himself in awe of the frigid Maine winters. “It’s been so cold,” he remarked. “It’s icy all day, every day.” The extensive travel has been a notable adjustment, with the Maine Celtics often flying commercial and spending multiple days in a single city. “It’s a lot of back-and-forth. We spend a lot of time at the airport.”
Despite these challenges, Walsh describes the experience as “just been awesome.” He attributes this positive experience to the genuine nature of the people around him, stating, “Everybody being such good people who wanted each and every person to succeed, it made for a smooth transition from Boston to Maine. They all want everybody to succeed. That’s the thing in Maine that helps us really be a family, really be together.”
The dynamics of the G-League are distinct, featuring rosters comprising players affiliated with the primary NBA team and others striving for an opportunity to break into the league. Each team is allowed up to three two-way players, and for the Celtics, these spots are filled by Neemias Queta, JD Davison, and Drew Peterson. Among G-League players, there are individuals like Walsh, who hold fully-guaranteed contracts but are assigned to the G-League for developmental purposes.
Blaine Mueller, the first-year head coach of the Maine Celtics, shared last week that Walsh, being one of the rare individuals with a long-term NBA deal, has a target on his back.
“Everyone knows it, and they’re going to come in and try to give him their best shot,” Mueller remarked.
For Jordan, success doesn’t necessarily equate to scoring thirty points per night or thriving as the primary offensive option. This is because he is honing a specific 3-and-D role that aligns with his aspirations in Boston.
“There’s different ways to dominate the game than what the casual fan may expect,” Mueller explained. He pointed out that fans often crave highlight-reel dunks and viral plays on social media, but Jordan’s role involves actions that may not make those flashy reels.
“You’re not going to necessarily see a guy crashing from the corner, grabbing it, and kicking it out for a teammate to hit a three on social media,” Mueller emphasized. “But that’s what he’s being asked to do. Or getting a great defensive stop – it’s not the sexiest thing in the world, but that’s what translates for him.”
Walsh has undergone significant improvement, particularly in his three-point shooting.
In the current season, Walsh boasts an average of 16.3 points and an impressive 40.8% success rate from beyond the arc. These figures mark substantial advancements from his college performance at Arkansas, where he shot 27.8% from three and averaged 7.1 points per game.
Reflecting on his journey, Walsh acknowledged, “It’s been a big thing since college — all of the NBA knew that I needed to work on my shot.” He credited his enhanced scoring and improved outside shooting to the unwavering confidence instilled in him by the Celtics coaching staff. While in Arkansas, as a freshman, he often hesitated to take open shots, but upon joining Boston, he was consistently encouraged to shoot whenever an opportunity presented itself.
“When you are in an environment like that, that not only wants you to succeed but is forcing you to succeed, forcing you to shine in those moments, it really does boost your confidence,” Walsh acknowledged. “Now, if I do have an open three — or maybe it’s not completely open, it’s somewhat contested — I’m going to shoot it,” he asserted. “They’ve done their job in preparing me for those moments.”
However, the enhanced efficiency goes beyond a mere confidence boost. Following his draft, the Celtics coaching staff identified a crucial aspect during their review of his college film that they believed was contributing to his shooting challenges: his footwork.
“They said that a lot of time in college, I had a whole bunch of different footworks going into my shot, which sometimes made me off-balance, sometimes not ready to shoot,” Walsh explained. While an assistant coach at Arkansas had mentioned this before, it wasn’t emphasized. Eager to enhance his on-court performance, Jordan took immediate action.
“They told me about it, showed me film, showed me the different percentages depending on my footwork,” Walsh recounted. “I took that and I ran with it. And, you know, obviously I’ve improved since then.”