Sb Nation Reacts: Jordan Walsh Is The Celtics Playoff X-factor
If the Celtics season were represented by one player, it would be Jordan Walsh. As CelticsBlog’s Noa Dalzell writes:
One hallmark characteristic of this Celtics season has been that as soon as it appears Joe Mazzulla has a solidified rotation, things change.
That latest change?
Jordan Walsh is back.
Over the past 7 games, Walsh has re-established himself as a key member of the Celtics lineup, averaging 20.2 minutes per game.
And, in a Tuesday night win against the Charlotte Hornets, he was crucial, tallying 9 points (on 4-4 FG), 6 rebounds, and a steal in 18 minutes of action — while also guarding Hornets star LaMelo Ball for much of the second half.
“He just understands that when he’s at his best defensively, he’s impacting the team’s best players, creating turnovers,” said Mazzulla. “I thought he was big tonight.”
Whether it’s a recognition of the old adage that “defense wins championships” or Mazzulla just has a gut reaction, Walsh has seemingly locked in a role in the rotation in favor of teammates like Ron Harper Jr., Hugo Gonzalez, and at times, Baylor Scheierman.
And the fans agree. Walsh won our poll for who could be Boston’s biggest x-factor heading into the playoffs:
With one game left in the NBA’s regular season, you can still wager on Walsh with FanDuel’s player props or Boston as a +550 to raise the Larry O’Brien at https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/nba.
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