The Boston Celtics lost a heartbreaker to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night, the Thunder taking a 2-point lead off of free-throws with just 0.8 seconds left in regulation. While the loss may sting, the game was incredibly encouraging for an under-manned Celtics team going against the top record in the league.
Jayson Tatum missed his first game since returning from his 10-month absence, avoiding what would have been his fourth game in just seven days. Derrick White was also on the bench for
this one, nursing a knee contusion which he picked up in the third quarter of Boston’s matchup with the San Antonio Spurs just two nights prior. Along with those two, Nikola Vucevic remained sidelined from a finger fracture which he had surgery to repair less than a week ago.
The Celtics, without two of their top-3 plus another key rotational player, managed to push the Thunder right down to the wire, leading for the majority of the game, but unable to close it out in the final seconds. Jaylen Brown put up a stellar performance, 34 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block, but the contributions from the bench were essential in keeping the game competitive.
Jordan Walsh was one of those contributors who stepped up to the moment, putting up 8 points on 3-4 shooting (2-3 from three), along with 3 rebounds, 1 assist, and some much-needed defensive intensity. He put together a balanced game in just 12 minutes, forcing 1 turnover, and keeping his matchups to just 1-3 shooting as their primary defender.
Walsh is someone who has fallen out of the rotation since Tatum’s return, playing just 1 minute between the three games which JT was active for. With his role in jeopardy, taking advantage of his limited minutes going forward is crucial to his stickability with this team.
Boston has gotten steady, and maybe unexpected contributions from each of their wings this year. With Tatum back in the lineup, opportunity dries up, and the cream of the crop will rise to the top and seize what remains. Baylor Scheierman, Hugo Gonzalez, Jordan Walsh, and Ron Harper Jr. are all fighting for their slice of the pie, and given the recent rotations, it feels like Jordan is the odd man out so far.
Walsh is currently in his third year as a pro at just 21 years old. The Celtics hold a team option on the final year of his rookie deal next season, and with their cap situation, it seems likely that they’ll pick up that option. After that, his situation is a bit murkier. While I don’t mean to pit players against each other, they are inevitably competing with their teammates for playing time and future contracts.
Thursday’s game with the Thunder was an encouraging showing from Jordan, and he’s going to have to continue to capitalize on any minutes he gets from this point forward. In 17.2 minutes per game, he’s averaging 5.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 0.7 assists with a 52.5 FG% and 40.8 3P% this season. It’s been a breakout year for Walsh, as it was for much of the Celtics roster, so he will need to elevate his game even more to stand out.
