Jordan Walsh Is Forcing His Way Into the Celtics’ Rotation - And It’s All About the Defense
The Boston Celtics held off a furious Cleveland Cavaliers rally on Sunday night, gutting out a win that was far closer than it needed to be. But amid the tension of a blown 21-point lead and a fourth-quarter dogfight, one play stood out - not for its flash, but for what it said about effort, toughness, and the emergence of a young player who’s quickly carving out a role in Boston’s rotation.
Early in the fourth, with Boston clinging to a four-point lead, Anfernee Simons missed a wing three and De’Andre Hunter appeared to come down with the rebound in a crowd. That’s when Payton Pritchard made a heads-up swipe, knocking the ball loose.
Jordan Walsh, charging in from the weak side, didn’t just tie it up - he ripped it away. In the middle of a scrum, Walsh muscled the ball free and drew a foul going up for a layup.
It was the kind of gritty, high-energy sequence that doesn’t always show up in the box score, but it perfectly captured what Walsh has been bringing to the Celtics lately.
Coming off a rough outing the night before in Minnesota - his first real stumble since moving into the starting five - Walsh bounced back in a big way. He posted career highs with 14 points and 11 rebounds, but it’s his defense that continues to turn heads.
Before the Celtics snagged him with the 38th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, Arkansas head coach Eric Musselman had a favorite phrase to describe Walsh’s style: “violent defender.” And that wasn’t just lip service.
Musselman talked about Walsh’s relentless approach - the way he crashes into bodies, attacks the glass, and jumps passing lanes like he’s got something to prove. Now, with consistent minutes finally coming his way, we’re seeing that same edge on the NBA floor.
And the numbers back it up.
On Sunday, Walsh was matched up with Donovan Mitchell for nearly seven full minutes of game time - a game-high 43 possessions. Mitchell, one of the league’s premier offensive threats, managed just four points on 2-of-8 shooting and coughed up two turnovers with Walsh as his primary defender, according to NBA tracking data.
That’s not an outlier. Walsh has quietly been one of the most effective perimeter defenders in the league this season.
Among players 6-foot-7 and under who defend at least nine shots per game and have played 10 or more games, Walsh ranks second in the NBA in holding opponents below their expected shooting percentage - a whopping 7.2 percent below expected. For context, that’s better than Draymond Green.
Only Derrick Jones Jr. has a better mark in that group.
Opponents are shooting just 40.2 percent when guarded by Walsh, compared to an expected 47.4 percent. That puts him in the 96th percentile league-wide. It’s elite company, and it’s a big reason why Joe Mazzulla hasn’t hesitated to throw Walsh at some of the league’s best scorers.
Yes, the fouls are something to watch - Walsh plays with such intensity that he sometimes gets a little handsy - but that’s often just the cost of doing business when you’re guarding top-tier talent every night. And when you’re generating 3.8 combined steals and blocks per 100 possessions, you can live with a few whistles.
Walsh’s defensive impact isn’t just about on-ball pressure. He’s also been a monster on the boards - something the Celtics desperately need given their lack of size. According to Cleaning the Glass, Walsh ranks in the 95th percentile in defensive rebounding rate for wings, pulling down 15.3 percent of opponents’ misses when he’s on the floor.
Against Cleveland, with center Neemias Queta sidelined, Walsh was credited with 25 rebound chances - that’s not a typo. For reference, Domantas Sabonis leads the entire NBA in rebound chances per game at 22.9. Walsh is throwing himself into every loose ball situation like it’s Game 7.
That hustle on the glass may have been what cracked the rotation open for him in the first place. Back in early November, he came off the bench and made an impact against Washington by getting active on the boards.
A week later, he was starting. Since then, he’s held onto that role - and the Celtics are 6-2 in his eight starts.
With Boston often leaning into small-ball lineups, Walsh has been asked to play up a position, sometimes even functioning as the de facto center alongside Josh Minott. Per Cleaning the Glass, he’s logged 11 percent of his minutes at power forward, and in those minutes, the Celtics have outscored opponents by a staggering 38.9 points per 100 possessions. That’s a small sample size, sure - but it’s a loud one.
And while he’s not a rim protector in the traditional sense, Walsh is holding opponents to 13.9 percent below expected shooting at the rim when he’s the primary defender. That’s a number you’d expect from a shot-blocking big, not a 6-foot-7 wing.
Walsh still has room to grow. He needs to keep taking open threes when they come and cut down on the occasional turnover - like the one on Sunday when he picked Donovan Mitchell’s pocket but gave it right back trying to force a pass in transition. But those are teachable moments, not red flags.
He won’t turn 22 until March, and the Celtics have him locked in on a team-friendly deal for next season. A budget extension down the line could be in play if this trajectory holds.
For now, Walsh’s energy, defensive versatility, and nose for the ball are giving Boston exactly what it needs - especially during stretches without Jayson Tatum. He’s not just filling minutes; he’s making an impact. And if he keeps playing like this, the Celtics may have found a long-term difference-maker hiding in plain sight.