Welcome Jordan Walsh!

[gouki88]

I didn’t see a welcome post for our newest Celtic. Perhaps due to the trade roller coaster of draft night, and we’re all a bit unsure as to who we actually have. I’ve gotten over the disappointment of not getting the guys I want (to an extent).

Measurements:
Height: 6’7” in shoes
Weight: 205lbs
Wingspan: 7’2”
Standing reach: 8’11”

Strengths:
Elite defender and athlete. Versatile, can defend the POA but can just as well play off-ball. He can probably fit in any defensive scheme with his athleticism and motor. He plays with some real fire defensively. He’s also a really good offensive rebounder. Almost 1/3 of his rebounds were offensive. Some rate his playmaking upside, but I haven’t seen much.

Weaknesses:
Shooting, shot creation, and scoring generally. He’s a really terrible shooter, and is aware of it too. Shows hesitancy to do so too. Has no handle either. Lots to work on on that end - essentially will be like playing 4v5 on the offensive end.

Comparisons:
Who doesn’t love a few comparisons!
High-end: Gerald Wallace
Mid: Andre Roberson
Low-end: Renaldo Balkman

[Birdman]

Great post on Walsh! TP…Wouldn’t mind a Wallace or Roberson type player…

[gouki88]

Great post on Walsh! TP…Wouldn’t mind a Wallace or Roberson type player…

I don’t think he becomes Gerald Wallace (Roberson I can see as reasonably likely). That being said, Wallace took years to come good.

[Smartacus]

Welcome to Boston Jordan Walsh!

Really interesting prospect. Walsh will immediately walk onto the team as the most physically capable defensive player aside from Tatum and Robert Williams with the best instincts for 1 on 1 lockdown defense.

I believe the shooting will come around. He was actually a fairly dynmic scorer at the high school level and made the most sacrifices to his game to of anyone on an extremely talented Arkansas roster that lacked spacing.

Walsh is more than what he has shown in College and while I will not call him a steal, I believe he will be a quality rotation player within 2 years. If he can figure out his 3 ball and continue to put bulk on his frame then he may one day have starter potential.

[Surferdad]

With Smart gone, my question is whether Walsh is a better defender than Marcus Sasser.

[knuckleballer]

That 8’11” standing reach is the same as Horford’s.  That’s serious length.  He also has a 41 inch vertical.  He has elite length and athleticism.  He’s supposed to be an intense defender with good instincts.

He just needs to learn to shoot if that’s possible.  If he can just become a mediocre shooter, he’ll be a useful player.  Lock him up in a gym with a shooting coach for the summer.

[Celtics2021]

With Smart gone, my question is whether Walsh is a better defender than Marcus Sasser.

Yes.  Definitely.

[tonydelk]

With such a focus on Offense with this team you'd think they'd have taken a 3&D player versus a defensive specialist. I guess they feel the 2nd unit has enough scoring.  They still need wing depth and a backup PF.  4 open roster spots unless JD is signed to the big club.

PG - White
SG - Brown
SF - Tatum
PF - Zinger
C - Rob

2nd unit
PG - PP/Davidson
SG - Brogdon
SF - Hauser
PF - Walsh?
C - Al/Kornet

[footey]

A week or so before the draft, when we still held the 35 pick, Jay King wrote article listing about 5 or 6 sleeper guys that he liked.  Walsh stood out to me then as the one guy on his list that I would be okay with.  I think once Kyle Murray was taken by Portland 2 picks prior, there wasn't anyone left on the board who was plug and play with out team, so Brad wore his Belichick hat and traded down.  Assuming he liked Walsh about as much as the other players left on the board at 25, that was the right move. Very frustrating for us fans wanting instant gratification, but most of us would be lousy GMs.

[gouki88]

With Smart gone, my question is whether Walsh is a better defender than Marcus Sasser.

Unquestionably. His size and athleticism is phenomenal, alongside his instincts & versatility. He’s also got a fair amount of dog in him

[radiohead]

Seeing his highlights has made me excited for summer league. If his game translates in the NBA then he could be a steal. He seems to be a motivated guy and eager to prove himself.

[DefenseWinsChamps]

Walsh stood out to me right away when I watched him. At first I thought it was because of his looks, but then I realized it was about his wingspan and how much area of the court he covered defensively. I loved his activity level.

He reminded me of the way Tony Allen used to hassle ball-handlers and cover a lot of ground with his quickness and wingspan. Obviously, he's not that good, but I'm hopefully he could turn into a solid defensive wing.

He's a guy you could see making an impact in a playoff game. Right now, you would essentially play him in the dunker's spot though, which isn't ideal. He needs to get comfortable shooting the 3. His form looks fine. He just needs reps.

Without his shooting getting there, I could see him settling into a Gary Payton II role and play style.

[gouki88]

Walsh stood out to me right away when I watched him. At first I thought it was because of his looks, but then I realized it was about his wingspan and how much area of the court he covered defensively. I loved his activity level.

He reminded me of the way Tony Allen used to hassle ball-handlers and cover a lot of ground with his quickness and wingspan. Obviously, he's not that good, but I'm hopefully he could turn into a solid defensive wing.

He's a guy you could see making an impact in a playoff game. Right now, you would essentially play him in the dunker's spot though, which isn't ideal. He needs to get comfortable shooting the 3. His form looks fine. He just needs reps.

I was thinking of TA too. Walsh to me seems longer, which made me think of a longer athlete type as a high end comparison, but TA sprung to mind

[DefenseWinsChamps]

Walsh stood out to me right away when I watched him. At first I thought it was because of his looks, but then I realized it was about his wingspan and how much area of the court he covered defensively. I loved his activity level.

He reminded me of the way Tony Allen used to hassle ball-handlers and cover a lot of ground with his quickness and wingspan. Obviously, he's not that good, but I'm hopefully he could turn into a solid defensive wing.

He's a guy you could see making an impact in a playoff game. Right now, you would essentially play him in the dunker's spot though, which isn't ideal. He needs to get comfortable shooting the 3. His form looks fine. He just needs reps.

I was thinking of TA too. Walsh to me seems longer, which made me think of a longer athlete type as a high end comparison, but TA sprung to mind

For sure. It's always poor practice to mention top players when trying to project what a player could be. But I think a lot of fans would try to compare him Thybulle, but their two styles are very different. Walsh fights over screens and covers ground to stay in front of ball-handlers. Thybulle trails them, which can lead to a compromised defense.

What do you think of the Gary Payton II comparison? Obviously smaller, but still long. Offensively I think they play similarly too.

[theswitch]

I'm excited for the kid. I don't watch any college basketball, so I have no idea -- and almost all second round picks aren't going to end up being helpful. But I think the most important indicators of success are (i) athletic talent and (ii) attitude. He just turned 19-years-old. He still has plenty of time to learn how to shoot -- the laundry list of guys who sucked at that in college (JB being a prime example! Grant Williams another decent one) is super long. I'll take the flyer on the guy who is already an NBA-ready defender in an NBA-ready body with a great head and attitude, and see what happens in three years. Maybe he'll work out, probably not, but that's a decent shot at it.