Continued strong defensive performance against the Clippers! Did the Celtics gain a defensive gateway for the future?

In the previous NBA regular season, the Boston Celtics, playing at home, narrowly defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 121-118. After this game, the Celtics, who had won two consecutive victories, improved their record to 7 wins and 7 losses, and their ranking was promoted to 11th in the Eastern Conference; while the Clippers, who had lost 7 of the last 8 games, had a record of 4 wins and 9 losses, continuing to rank 11th in the Western Conference.

In this game, the performance of the Celtics' rising star forward Jordan Walsh was impressive. Walsh played 33 minutes and 12 seconds, making 2 of 5 shots, 0 of 1 from beyond the three-point line, and 2 of 2 free throws. He scored 6 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block. He also had 5 fouls, with a plus-minus of +4. Walsh's contribution on the offensive end is not too high, but he did not waste any opportunities, and it seems that he also has certain passing ability and support ability. The most important thing is that Walsh's personal defensive ability is very good. He has a positive attitude on the defensive end and is full of energy and hard work. He also achieved very good defensive results. If Walsh can enrich his defensive experience, his performance on the defensive end can be improved to a higher level. In any case, Walsh's performance in this game is worthy of recognition. He also played the role he should have played and made his own contribution to the team's victory.

Walsh was born in March 2004. He is 21 years old, 198cm tall and 93kg in weight. He is a rising star from the University of Arkansas selected by the Celtics with the 38th pick in the second round of the 2023 NBA Draft. In the NBA regular season last season, Walsh played a total of 52 times in 82 games, averaging 7.8 minutes per game. He averaged 1.6 points, 1.3 rebounds, 0.4 assists, 0.4 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game. He also had 0.3 turnovers and 0.6 fouls. He shot 36.1% from the field, 27.3% from the three-point range, and 58.3% from the free throw line. In the playoffs, Walsh played a total of 5 times, averaging only 3.1 minutes per game, averaging 0.2 rebounds and 0.2 assists per game, shooting 0% from the field and 0% from the three-point range. Since the start of this season, Walsh has played a total of 10 times in the first 14 games, averaging 17.3 minutes per game, averaging 4.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 0.6 blocks per game. He also has 0.2 turnovers and 2.2 fouls. His shooting percentage is 46.2%, 41.2% from three-point range, and 75% from free throws.

Walsh's playing time in the team in the previous two seasons was relatively limited, and he was unable to show greater competitiveness in this situation. However, this season, because the team is indeed short of major generals and the team's goals have also changed significantly, Walsh has begun to gain more trust. Judging from the situation in these games, Walsh has also shown strong competitiveness, and his strong performance on the defensive end is also very important to the team. It has to be said that Walsh did seize the opportunity. In the third year of his career, it is very normal for him to be eliminated from the NBA once he is unable to play his role. Judging from the current situation, he should be able to gain a foothold in the NBA.