CAMBRIDGE — Jordan Walsh stood out at the Cambridge Community Center, not only because he is a 6-and-a-half-foot tall NBA draftee, but because he wore a hoodie and a knit cap inside a humid gym while teaching basketball fundamentals to young children.
Walsh’s excitement for joining the Celtics matched the excitement the young children had for meeting an actual Celtic (shhh, don’t spoil it for the kids with specifics). After an hour of drills and having fun with the kids, Walsh very much looked like a kid, excited to talk to the Boston media for the first time.
“I got here last night and it's starting to sink in,” Walsh said. “The kids out here definitely welcomed me to the Celtics. So it's been fun. I love the city so far, I love the food that I've eaten, I like the people, I love the facilities. I've fallen in love with Boston and I haven't even been here 24 hours.”
There's a wide-eyed innocence to Walsh that is refreshing. It’s always fun when young guys are still happy to talk to the media. But beyond that, Walsh is very much the eager 19-year-old he appears to be.
“I just got my first Boston jersey today,” Walsh said, revealing that he’ll wear #27. “I already got it, already know where I'm gonna hang it up at, I already know what it's gonna look like in my little room … I didn't get a chance to put it on yet, but it's gonna go on after this.”
For now, Walsh can bask in the afterglow of being drafted by the Celtics last week. One can hardly blame a young man who only just turned 19 for spending his Monday afternoon looking at himself in the mirror while wearing his uniform. His next step is earning that jersey and having 19,000 people watch him wear it.
“(I’m) a guy who harps on defense, who plays super hard, who’s tough, who’s going to be consistent in that aspect of the game, who’s going to do the simple things that help winning, that other people may overlook,” he said. “Like diving on the floor. I heard that Boston likes people who dive on the floor more than people who dunk the ball. That guy is going to be me. I’ll still do a little dunking, but that guy will be me. I’m just a guy who wants to do whatever it takes to win.”
That's a path that will likely start in Maine. His youthful exuberance will serve him well over his first NBA season, which might end up being more NBA-adjacent than anything. His build is slight, and even though he has a monster Porzingis-sized wingspan, he’s still way too raw to contribute right away.
“We don't expect him to come in and take the world on fire in the first couple of months, summer league, first year,” Brad Stevens said on draft night. “He has a special ability laterally with his wingspan to, like, swallow people up defensively. Like he really creates havoc with his arms and with his energy and with his ability to move his feet. … I think over time he'll become a really good shooter who has the athleticism to finish and drive closeouts, but he'll be ahead on the defensive end from the start. He’ll get knocked down a few times, though.”
Walsh will have to add a bunch of muscle, especially strengthening his base to allow him to take those shots to the chest and hold his ground. He’ll also have to hone his shooting touch, but Stevens seems confident that will come with reps and confidence-building. He shot below 29% in his one college season, although the number improved by the end of the year.
This might make for an ugly summer league, which might be tough to ignore. He should shoot a lot, and keep shooting even if he misses everything. The Celtics need him to get used to the speed of the game and the closeouts. They need him to keep messing up so they can show him how to get better. If he’s going to be second-round success story, they need him to not be afraid of failing at this next level and build up the confidence he needs to succeed.
It might take a season or two for him to be ready, but his defensive skills make him intriguing. His build and his mentality give him a chance to make a name for himself. It’s going to be a tough road for him, but if he does this right, he’ll give himself a chance. It’s a chance he seems to understand and appreciate.
“I took a picture in front of the banners. That's special to have that accomplishment of being the best team in NBA history,” he said. “That's nothing that should be taken lightly. That's years of development, years of love, years of trust. Not just the players, but the fans, for them to come and support every game, that means so much because they're a big part of what Boston has accomplished and now I just hope that I can be a part of it too.”