Welcome Jordan Walsh!

[Ed Monix]

Although I like what I’ve seen of Walsh, I think there were better options.

The Lakers, Grizzlies & GSW are usually better at finding second round diamonds in the rough than the Celtics. After the Celtics pick, they selected Maxwell Lewis (Lakers), G.G Jackson (Grizzlies), Trayce Jackson-Davis (GSW).

[Celtics4ever]

I think he can play NBA defense from the get go.    He will get some fouls from the star calls though.  Worst case is Matisse Thybulle 2.o with some passing. 

[Goldstar88]

Although I like what I’ve seen of Walsh, I think there were better options.

The Lakers, Grizzlies & GSW are usually better at finding second round diamonds in the rough than the Celtics. After the Celtics pick, they selected Maxwell Lewis (Lakers), G.G Jackson (Grizzlies), Trayce Jackson-Davis (GSW).

Can add the Spurs to that list.

[obnoxiousmime]

https://youtu.be/gERSqX012Sw?t=415

Ringer video on defenders in this draft class. They gush about Walsh and even suggest that Stevens would really like him (this is when the C's had the 35th pick).

[W8ting2McHale]

I know I am a bit crazy, but I am going to wait until Jordan Walsh is say 22 years old before I try to declare him a bust.

It appears to me that he has some promise but so don't a lot of second rounders.  Do Celtics fans really need to look further than the 2023 MIA Heat team that beat us in the ECF to see why you don't give up on second round picks the day after the draft?

I think that Jordan has a high floor as a situational defender. He'll go as far as his jump shot takes him. He's only 19... I really like the high energy and BBIQ he plays with.

I will wait until he’s lined up against NBA players, but if he can play high level defense he’ll get the chance to learn how to shoot.

Romeo got playing time for his defense, and so did Tony Allen. Neither really developed on offense. Same with Matisse Thybulle. All defense (if a different style than Walsh plays) and very little offense. None of them ended up as stars, but they were on the court.

If Jordan can become the Grindfather Jr. Or Grindson, then this pick was a win.

[libermaniac]

https://youtu.be/gERSqX012Sw?t=415

Ringer video on defenders in this draft class. They gush about Walsh and even suggest that Stevens would really like him (this is when the C's had the 35th pick).

Great video.  TP. The guy even predicted him to the Cs at the end.

[liam]

I think he can play NBA defense from the get go.    He will get some fouls from the star calls though.  Worst case is Matisse Thybulle 2.o with some passing.

Walsh fouls at a high rate. Even more than the shooting he'll need to get his fouls down.

[Goldstar88]

Really good article on Walsh. Some excerpts below, but I'd recommend reading the full write up. Also added an interview with Jordan which was recorded right before the draft. Sounds intelligent and speaks well. Hard to believe he's only 19. In regards to his shooting, I think Jordan will improve. His stoke doesn't look bad and he shot over 70% from the line for the Razorbacks. I'm looking forward to seeing him in summer league. Has a lot of upside.

He was a McDonald’s All-American in 2022 (so check off box No. 2) and a five-star recruit before joining Arkansas. Now, as he enters the NBA, he’s an agile 6-foot-7 forward with a monstrous 7-foot-2 wingspan, huge hands, and the potential to defend multiple positions at the NBA level.

Walsh’s defense is unique.
“He has a special ability laterally and with his wingspan to, like, swallow people up defensively,” Brad Stevens told reporters following the draft.

Walsh’s defense should get him on the floor in the NBA, but a consistent jumper would drastically change the course of his career. The stats aren’t encouraging — Walsh shot just 27.8 percent from deep and 71 percent from the free-throw line in his lone season at Arkansas, and shooting was a concern at the AAU/prep level as well.
However, Walsh put together a nice performance as a shooter at the NBA Combine, and Stevens noted the improvements in his press conference on Thursday.

We had him in twice for workouts, he’s just getting better and better,” Stevens said. “And I’ve always thought his touch looked good, but he looked hesitant at times. So I think over time, he’ll become a really good shooter who has the athleticism to finish and drive closeouts”

Stoker (Walsh’s former coach) agrees with Stevens that Walsh’s form has always been solid. He believes Walsh’s problems early in his career stemmed largely from a lack of confidence. The duo has been doing two-a-day workouts six times a week since Walsh arrived back from Arkansas, and part of the work includes 250-350 made 3-pointers on a daily basis — the first time in Walsh’s career that he has focused so single-mindedly on his shot.

“After college, we really knew what he needed to focus on to get him to the next level, and that’s to become a consistent 3-point shot maker,” Stoker said. “That’s what we really focused on day in and day out … the majority of the time, let’s get catch-and-shoot, one-dribble pull-up, 3-point shot, all different variations of shot-making 3s. That’s what we really wanted to focus on.
“By the time he was ready for his NBA workouts, he was ready to kill it.”

Full article: https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-celtics/2023/06/23/it-was-his-vision-celtics-draft-pick-jordan-walsh-has-been-planning-for-this-moment

Pre Draft Interview: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=jordan+walsh+interview

[liam]

Really good article on Walsh. Some excerpts below, but I'd recommend reading the full write up. Also added an interview with Jordan which was recorded right before the draft. Sounds intelligent and speaks well. Hard to believe he's only 19. In regards to his shooting, I think Jordan will improve. His stoke doesn't look bad and he shot over 70% from the line for the Razorbacks. I'm looking forward to seeing him in summer league. Has a lot of upside.

He was a McDonald’s All-American in 2022 (so check off box No. 2) and a five-star recruit before joining Arkansas. Now, as he enters the NBA, he’s an agile 6-foot-7 forward with a monstrous 7-foot-2 wingspan, huge hands, and the potential to defend multiple positions at the NBA level.

Walsh’s defense is unique.
“He has a special ability laterally and with his wingspan to, like, swallow people up defensively,” Brad Stevens told reporters following the draft.

Walsh’s defense should get him on the floor in the NBA, but a consistent jumper would drastically change the course of his career. The stats aren’t encouraging — Walsh shot just 27.8 percent from deep and 71 percent from the free-throw line in his lone season at Arkansas, and shooting was a concern at the AAU/prep level as well.
However, Walsh put together a nice performance as a shooter at the NBA Combine, and Stevens noted the improvements in his press conference on Thursday.

We had him in twice for workouts, he’s just getting better and better,” Stevens said. “And I’ve always thought his touch looked good, but he looked hesitant at times. So I think over time, he’ll become a really good shooter who has the athleticism to finish and drive closeouts”

Stoker (Walsh’s former coach) agrees with Stevens that Walsh’s form has always been solid. He believes Walsh’s problems early in his career stemmed largely from a lack of confidence. The duo has been doing two-a-day workouts six times a week since Walsh arrived back from Arkansas, and part of the work includes 250-350 made 3-pointers on a daily basis — the first time in Walsh’s career that he has focused so single-mindedly on his shot.

“After college, we really knew what he needed to focus on to get him to the next level, and that’s to become a consistent 3-point shot maker,” Stoker said. “That’s what we really focused on day in and day out … the majority of the time, let’s get catch-and-shoot, one-dribble pull-up, 3-point shot, all different variations of shot-making 3s. That’s what we really wanted to focus on.
“By the time he was ready for his NBA workouts, he was ready to kill it.”

Full article: https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-celtics/2023/06/23/it-was-his-vision-celtics-draft-pick-jordan-walsh-has-been-planning-for-this-moment

Pre Draft Interview: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=jordan+walsh+interview

TP, That shot seems like the only real weak spot but if he works really hard he should be able to get that shooting to vastly improve.

[Who]

Really good article on Walsh. Some excerpts below, but I'd recommend reading the full write up. Also added an interview with Jordan which was recorded right before the draft. Sounds intelligent and speaks well. Hard to believe he's only 19. In regards to his shooting, I think Jordan will improve. His stoke doesn't look bad and he shot over 70% from the line for the Razorbacks. I'm looking forward to seeing him in summer league. Has a lot of upside.

He was a McDonald’s All-American in 2022 (so check off box No. 2) and a five-star recruit before joining Arkansas. Now, as he enters the NBA, he’s an agile 6-foot-7 forward with a monstrous 7-foot-2 wingspan, huge hands, and the potential to defend multiple positions at the NBA level.

Walsh’s defense is unique.
“He has a special ability laterally and with his wingspan to, like, swallow people up defensively,” Brad Stevens told reporters following the draft.

Walsh’s defense should get him on the floor in the NBA, but a consistent jumper would drastically change the course of his career. The stats aren’t encouraging — Walsh shot just 27.8 percent from deep and 71 percent from the free-throw line in his lone season at Arkansas, and shooting was a concern at the AAU/prep level as well.
However, Walsh put together a nice performance as a shooter at the NBA Combine, and Stevens noted the improvements in his press conference on Thursday.

We had him in twice for workouts, he’s just getting better and better,” Stevens said. “And I’ve always thought his touch looked good, but he looked hesitant at times. So I think over time, he’ll become a really good shooter who has the athleticism to finish and drive closeouts”

Stoker (Walsh’s former coach) agrees with Stevens that Walsh’s form has always been solid. He believes Walsh’s problems early in his career stemmed largely from a lack of confidence. The duo has been doing two-a-day workouts six times a week since Walsh arrived back from Arkansas, and part of the work includes 250-350 made 3-pointers on a daily basis — the first time in Walsh’s career that he has focused so single-mindedly on his shot.

“After college, we really knew what he needed to focus on to get him to the next level, and that’s to become a consistent 3-point shot maker,” Stoker said. “That’s what we really focused on day in and day out … the majority of the time, let’s get catch-and-shoot, one-dribble pull-up, 3-point shot, all different variations of shot-making 3s. That’s what we really wanted to focus on.
“By the time he was ready for his NBA workouts, he was ready to kill it.”

Full article: https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-celtics/2023/06/23/it-was-his-vision-celtics-draft-pick-jordan-walsh-has-been-planning-for-this-moment

Pre Draft Interview: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=jordan+walsh+interview

TP, That shot seems like the only real weak spot but if he works really hard he should be able to get that shooting to vastly improve.

That is exciting -- to hear his focus & dedication to improving that 3 point shot. That understanding of how much it'll mean to the trajectory of his career. Good sign. Good understanding. Good work ethic. Encouraging.

[DefenseWinsChamps]

Like every time we draft a player, I'm all in.

[liam]

Like every time we draft a player, I'm all in.

I think this is the best defensive player that we've drafted since Smart. I think he'll be ready to defend from day one.

[Roy H.]

I liked him as an option at #35.  He's an excellent defender who seems to work hard.  In a vacuum, I think he's good value where we got him.

But, we passed on some very good prospects before taking him.  Those Gus taken between #25 and #37 are going to be interesting to watch.

[DefenseWinsChamps]

Like every time we draft a player, I'm all in.

I think this is the best defensive player that we've drafted since Smart. I think he'll be ready to defend from day one.

Rob Williams as a second team all-defense player might disagree, but I do get what you are saying.

[W8ting2McHale]

It will be interesting to see if the work he’s reportedly done on his 3 point shooting will translate to the summer league.

He has the length and agility to create space for himself to get the shot off, so he has an advantage there to become a legitimate outside threat. A lot of quality outside scorers coming out of college get on an NBA court and can’t get their shot off, or their rhythm is so disrupted that they can’t hit anything.

Like JB, he at least has the ability to get a shot off, he just has to develop the confidence to take the shot and have it go in. Taking and making 250 unguarded threes in practice isn’t the same as being hounded on the court.