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Neemias Queta has started 43 games and has blossomed into a reliable center (10.0 points, 8 rebounds, 1.3 blocks per game), helping to fill the void left by the departures of bigs Porzingis, Horford and Kornet. Gonzalez, the 28th pick in the 2025 draft, has partnered with 2023 second-round pick Jordan Walsh to provide energy and effort on the wings, clearing the way for White, Brown and Pritchard to shoulder the scoring load. "They're doing a great job with player development, doing a great job on the margins," the West executive said of Boston's revamped supporting cast. "Sure, there's luck involved, but they're a really good team. They're playing with house money. I love watching them."
Removed from the Boston Celtics starting lineup for the first time since early in the season, Jordan Walsh said he needs to do more. “I think just leaving a print on the game,” Walsh said. “I feel like the other team has to feel me. The other staff has to feel me. The other organization has to feel me. Every time I’m on the court, I’ve got to constantly make it hard for everybody else to kind of survive on the other team. I feel like I hadn’t been doing that. So, I’ve gotta make sure that I am doing that.”
Zack Cox: Jordan Walsh (illness) is OUT tonight for the Celtics. He sat out the second half of Saturday’s win at Toronto.
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Reaves talked about Walsh’s potential and what he saw facing the lengthy defender. “He just plays hard as crap every single possession,” Reaves said. “You don’t take a possession off. His ability, his length, his athleticism. He’s physically gifted. Moves really well. I could see him being one of the best defenders in the league for many years to come. He made shots tonight. Good player.”
Anfernee Simons ignited the Celtics in the first half, Luka Garza shifted the momentum late and Jordan Walsh provided the finishing touches to steer the Celtics to a 111-107 road win over the Magic on Sunday. Simons poured in all 25 of his points before the break, putting on a show in his hometown. Garza contributed 16 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists in 17 minutes and delivered in the clutch. Walsh canned a big-time corner 3 with 13.2 seconds remaining to extend the margin to five, and Boston held on from there.
Even seeing Tatum’s relentless effort on a daily basis, his teammates still marveled at how far he’s come in a short time. A sampling of their reactions: Xavier Tillman: "It is crazy impressive. I mean, I'm seeing this guy do like box jumps and stuff like that. And I'm like, ‘Huh!? What!?’” Jordan Walsh: "I mean, the dude's a machine. He's recovering at a crazy rate.” Josh Minott: "That's inspiring, seeing his progression. I mean, they're saying it's like unprecedented.” Derrick White: "It's been impressive. Just goes to who he is and what type of worker he is." Sam Hauser: "To see him moving like that already is pretty special. And it's just a credit to all the work he's been doing behind the scenes, when there's no cameras around. You watch the way he's working, rehabbing, it makes you want to do a little extra." Payton Pritchard: "I already expected this from Jayson, to come back like this … I just never put things past certain people, and he's one of those guys.”
Derrick White: There are guys on the team that have been giving me giving me hell about not having a technical foul. Jayson Tatum told me he doesn't respect me until I get a technical. We'll see. We'll see. Not against him, but I'm not going to go out of my way to get one. I'm going to get ejected. Q. Like Jordan Walsh? DW: Yes. I watched Jay Walsh in the summer league. I got inspired, and yeah, I think Jay Walsh was the only person to get ejected in summer league this year and so it's always great to be the only person to do something. So, congrats on that, Jay.
Jordan Walsh told the Globe on Saturday that coach Joe Mazzulla, after the season, told him his role is uncertain because of the uncertainty of the roster. Now that the Celtics have lost Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, and Luke Kornet, and with Torrey Craig a free agent, there are available minutes for several positions, including the 3-and-D role Walsh is vying to fill. “Now that we’re closer to the season and we know what the roster will look like, I gotta revisit that conversation to see what I can do,” Walsh told the Globe. “If there’s something open for me, how do I maximize my opportunity, get to it, and take advantage.”
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Jordan Walsh on Joe Mazzulla: Uh, apparently Joe just did a jiu-jitsu match in Connecticut. And apparently—but he did a fight, an official fight. And we were talking about it, and I said, 'If you lose this fight, you lose so much respect in the community, in the locker room, and everything.' And so that was hilarious. Me, JB, and Joe were talking about it, and it was—it was Saturday, and I was like with Joe and JP, and I said, 'What would you rather do on a Saturday than watch Joe get choked out on the mat? Like, what else would you do?' And so everybody was like, 'You’ve got a good point. We should definitely watch this.' Unfortunately, I missed it, but I—I really—I haven’t seen him in the gym since, so it might be a bad sign. But I gotta definitely reach out to him and see how that went for sure."
The Maine Celtics playoffs begin on Tuesday night against the Capital City Go-Go, and the Celtics’ G League affiliate will be bolstered by the addition of Jordan Walsh, who will be joining his former Maine teammates.
Bobby Manning: Mazzulla emphasized that the small lineup and Scheierman changed the game tonight as they tried to combat the #Nets' speed... "Half the locker room has been in the position that he's been in." Lists White, Tillman, Queta, Walsh and others among those who have taken that route.
