It sometimes isn’t an incredible signal {that a} participant is enjoying in Summer time League getting into their third NBA season. If they’re, they need to seem like the most effective participant on the court docket.
Issues I search for throughout Summer time League:
Do the rookies seem like they’ll dangle athletically? Particularly when going in opposition to skilled gamers.What expertise do returning gamers showcase? Are they requested to play a really totally different function and dealing with it okay?Are second- and…
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) July 5, 2025
In final season’s Celtics Summer time League opener, Jaden Springer had 23 factors and 6 assists whereas Neemias Queta had 20 factors and 9 rebounds. Springer wouldn’t play in Summer time League once more whereas Queta had 22 factors and eight rebounds within the Summer time C’s subsequent recreation earlier than being shut down. They dominated, displaying that they have been above enjoying in Vegas.
Walsh, however, performed in all 5 Summer time League video games the Celtics performed in final 12 months. He averaged 9.0 factors, 6.6 rebounds and a couple of.4 assists on 29% from the sector and 13% from three.
He did not seem like only a man — he was plain unhealthy. That merely can’t be the case this 12 months. He wants to face out. On Friday in opposition to the Grizzlies, we have to see Walsh stand out and assume he could possibly be a man who may also help the Celtics.
Walsh’s athleticism has proven flashes at instances and his vary on protection is one thing to look at as effectively. Nevertheless, he wants to have the ability to rating the ball this time round. He wants to have the ability to get previous a defender and end across the cup. He wants to have the ability to knock down catch and shoot threes.
His offensive rebounding is one thing lots of people appreciated popping out of faculty and he did that fairly effectively final summer season with 1.8 offensive rebounds per recreation. Nevertheless, the Celtics want extra out of Walsh within the half court docket different than simply crashing the offensive glass.
The Celtics simply signed Josh Minott to a 2-year contract, a participant who has a really comparable archetype to Walsh — lengthy rangy defenders who’re athletic, fairly good offensive rebounders however have struggled to make threes on the NBA stage. Minott performed at Summer time League final 12 months, averaging 15.8 factors, 6.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists per recreation on 44% from the sector and 23% from three.
Nothing particular however higher than Walsh appeared.
Walsh additionally talked about placing an excessive amount of strain on himself final summer season and the way it led to his combine bag of outcomes.
“After I went into it final 12 months, I used to be form of within the mentality of making an attempt to be like Jayson Tatum, be Jaylen Brown,” Walsh mentioned. “And it’s like, that’s not the identical workforce, that’s not who I’m, I’m not these guys. Now I’m going with the mentality of being me, being the most effective participant that I might be, to have an effect on successful in each [part] of the sport.”
Jordan Walsh is coming into Summer time League with a brand new mentality:
“After I went into it final 12 months, I used to be form of within the mentality of making an attempt to be like Jayson Tatum, be Jaylen Brown. And it’s like, that’s not the identical workforce, that’s not who I’m, I’m not these guys. Now I’m going… pic.twitter.com/QkWczPKHFn
— Noa Dalzell (@NoaDalzell) July 8, 2025
Jordan Walsh may not be placing strain on himself, however the Celtics are. He must carry out at a excessive stage this time round in Vegas as a result of in contrast to in his first two seasons, there’s a likelihood that Walsh can carve out a constant function for himself this upcoming season.
That should begin with actually high-level play over the subsequent week plus at Summer time League. He wants to indicate the Celtics brass that he has graduated by enjoying at a very excessive stage within the first one or two video games.
