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[Boston Celtics]

The Jordan Walsh breakout has been beautiful

The first two seasons of Jordan Walsh’s career were relatively forgettable from a, individual standpoint (at least he got a ring his rookie year).

In the 61 games he appeared in, Walsh averaged 1.6 points and 1.5 rebounds while only playing 8 minutes per game. He shot 37% from the field and 27% on threes.

There was never a point it looked like Walsh could be a regular rotation player, not during his regular season action, preseason action or even Summer League action. You would be hard pressed to find people who still believed in Walsh and it would have been even harder to find someone who had a good reason to still believe — not just blind faith.

Over the first five games of this season, that seemed to remain the case as Walsh played just 5 minutes and 18 seconds, appearing in just three games.

But sometimes, blind faith pays off.

After a good showing in the Celtics loss in Philadelphia on November 11th, Joe Mazzulla inserted Walsh into the starting lineup as he looked for someone to play the 4 with Payton Pritchard, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown and Neemias Queta.

Ever since that point, Walsh has taken 0ff like a rocket ship and it has broken my brain.

Since being inserted into the starting 5 on November 12th against the Grizzlies, Walsh has averaged 9.8 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. The Celtics, meanwhile, are tied for 2nd in the NBA at 10 wins, have the 3rd best net rating in the NBA at +10.2 points per 100 possessions, and have the best offense in the NBA, scoring 126.8 points per 100 possessions.

It is his three-point shooting that has made me the most excited. He is 19/39 from three on the season, 49%. That won’t hold up — not even the best shooters in NBA history shoot 50% from three — but if he can be in the high 30’s or even the low 40’s.

He is scoring at a really high level now. In the Celtics November 30th win over the Cavaliers, Walsh scored a career-high 14 points and in the five games since that one, he has beaten that three times. Over the last six games, he is averaging 15 points per game, shooting 77% with an effective field goal percentage of 89%.

He also creates a lot of 2nd chance points for the Celtics as well. He has 37 offensive rebounds this season which is tied for third on the team with Josh Minott behind Luka Garza and Neemias Queta.

Those extra possessions are something the Joe Mazzulla talks a lot about and something that the Celtics need because they do have a tendency to give up offensive rebounds on the other end, even if they have improved in that regard since the start of the season.

His defense was what everyone talked about when he was drafted in 2023 and that has not gone away during this stretch.

Each night he takes the top assignment of the other team, allowing Jaylen Brown and Derrick White to focus more on offense. Walsh is giving up 39% to shooters when he is the nearest defender and how he navigates screens is also a joy.

According to Cleaning the Glass, Walsh is in the 94th percentile in blocks for wings, 91st percentile in steals and the 98th percentile in offensive rebounding. He is doing all the little things for this Celtics team, creating extra possessions for Boston on both sides of the court.

This leap from Jordan Walsh seems to be real. I just cannot understand how the player I have watched the past two seasons and the past three summers is now one of the most impactful and important players on the team.

It has been so beautiful to watch.

Source: https://www.celticsblog.com/article...arkansas-razorbacks-joe-mazzulla-brad-stevens

 

[Boston Celtics]

Connectivity: The Recipe for Maine Celtics becoming Boston Celtics

Coming into the season, if you told someone that Sam Hauser would be a fixture in the rotation, looked at to shoot 40% or better from three for the fifth season in a row while also providing underrated defense, they likely wouldn’t have been surprised.

If you told someone that Neemias Queta would become an advanced-metrics darling, flirt with near double-double averages and exceed most expectations in his first season as a starter, you’d likely be met with a fair amount of skepticism.

But I know for sure if you told someone that Jordan Walsh would start the season with three DNP-CDs, logging just five minutes and 18 seconds across the first six games, only to later start thirteen straight contests emerging as one of the league’s best defenders while shooting 49% from three, they would run away trying to preserve whatever sanity they still had.

Besides the fact that they all are very tall, one important common denominator here is that they all spent substantial time in the G-League. That gritty, often overlooked proving ground helped Hauser, Queta, and Walsh go from hopefuls to bona fide NBA contributors, proving that sometimes the real magic happens where the lights are dimmest.

Furthermore, last year’s 30th overall pick, Baylor Scheierman, played 25 games with Maine during the 2024–25 campaign. Like many rookies, he started slowly, but those reps proved invaluable fueling the confidence he flashed late last season and has carried into this one. Scheierman has appeared in 21 of the team’s first 25 games this year, knocking down 47 percent of his three-point attempts.

Fast forward to this year, Maine is home base for all three of Boston’s two-way players. Ron Harper Jr, Amari Williams, and Max Shulga headline a roster that has flipped its season on its head, winning nine of its last ten games after an 0–3 start.

Williams, the rookie big out of Kentucky, has already shown flashes in meaningful NBA minutes against quality opponents, and much of that readiness can be traced to the growing connectivity between the Celtics and their G-League affiliate. A pipeline designed to help past, present, and future Maine standouts evolve into rotation players.

That alignment starts with culture, as coaches throughout the organization, led by the head coaches, emphasize a shared vision of accountability, professionalism, and impact on and off the floor.

“It doesn’t matter whether they’re in Boston or Maine; the standard is the standard,” said first-year head coach Phil Pressey. While Williams noted that Pressey and Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla are “pretty different” personality-wise, there are clear similarities in the messages they emphasize and the habits they reinforce.

Off the court, it’s all about being a professional. When asked about Walsh last year, Joe Mazzulla said, “What you do in the G-League from a statistical standpoint is important, but it’s more about your daily approach and professionalism.” Just five days ago when Williams posted his first career triple double in the G, coach Pressey told reporters that “he’s a big point guard,” but then reiterated being a pro. “But for him it’s just about building these professional habits of off the court taking care of your body, eating the right things, going to sleep at the right time…those are professional habits that an NBA player has.”

Mazzulla is well known for using movie scenes from “The Town” and other films/sports to drill points related to his coaching. It was also reported that Pressey spoke about using a quote from “Kung Fu Panda” to help his team after an 0-3 start.

“The Town,” “The Dark Knight,” and…. “Kung Fu Panda” ???

Maine Celtics head coach Phil Pressey mentioned how he’s taking a page out of Joe Mazzulla’s book and connecting to his players via movies.

My story on the Master Oogway quote he mentioned and his transition to Maine pic.twitter.com/ucTYWB7FSu

— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) November 14, 2025

Hearing the same things from both coaches and everyone else in both settings most likely played a role in why Williams felt prepared for his first real NBA minutes. Afterwards, he said, “I felt like everyone around me the coaches, my teammates always kept me ready for that moment.”

We also have heard Mazzulla say winning is everything so many times and Pressey shares that same sentiment saying after a win that “I just try to voice that winning is everything.”

On the court, Maine’s offensive playcalling is very similar to Boston’s. I was in attendance for both of Maine’s matchups with the Capital City GoGo (Wizards affiliate) which they split without Harper Jr and Williams. In the first matchup, I was fortunate enough to sit close enough to hear coach Pressey during the game and in timeouts.

When the offense is freelancing, Pressey routinely calls out “Angle” signaling Angle Pick and Roll, which Boston also runs a ton. He’s always coaching within the play making sure players not directly involved in the PnR have the correct spacing. But on the plays they do set, you can clearly see the similarities.

Here both teams run “Chest” which is when someone sets an on-ball screen, then receives a Flare screen. The on-ball screen can either be a regular screen or a Ghost screen. Hayden Gray is able to get a step back three, and Boston plays great basketball after creating an advantage. You can even see Mazzulla saying Chest at the beginning of the second clip.

On this one both teams run Spain Pick and Roll (back screen for on-ball screeners man) and get open corner threes.

Another similarity beyond just running the same action is that both squads have an elite scorer in their respective league. Jaylen Brown is sixth in the NBA in scoring averaging 29 points while Ron Harper Jr leads the G-League in scoring at 26.9. Having these guys allow them to run Killer Whale Pick and Roll where they target a weak defender. Both guys are able to reject the screen and create offense for themselves.

Lastly, both teams love to have their centers play as Handoff passers. They go to “Zoom” or “Chicago” action (either one works) which is when a player receives a pin down or off ball screen to get a handoff. Derrick White and Harper Jr start in the corner and get the handoff after a teammate sets the pin down for them. This gets them going downhill.

None of this is accidental. From Hauser’s consistency, to Queta’s emergence, to Walsh’s unlikely rise, and now to the steady pipeline flowing through Maine, the Celtics have built a development system rooted in alignment, accountability, and opportunity. And as long as the standard remains the standard, the next unexpected contributor is probably already earning minutes in Maine.

Source: https://www.celticsblog.com/article...ipe-for-maine-celtics-becoming-boston-celtics

 

[Boston Celtics]

Pistons down Celtics, 112-105

After three days off, the Boston Celtics returned to the court hosting the Detroit Pistons. Boston hadn’t played at home since the Los Angeles Lakers visited TD Garden on December 5th. In an evenly matched game, both teams traded leads all night, however Boston let Detroit creep away with it late, the Pistons securing a big road win, 112-105.

Payton Pritchard was listed as questionable prior to tip-off with neck spasms, but he started alongside Jaylen Brown, Neemias Queta, Derrick White, and Jordan Walsh. The Eastern Conference-leading Pistons started Ausar Thompson, Tobias Harris, Jalen Duren, Duncan Robinson, and Cade Cunningham.

Detroit came out strong to start the game with an early 7-3 lead in the contest before Payton Pritchard hit on three straight buckets (8 points) to get the Celtics going. Cunningham and Duren were combining well for the road team, but it was Boston whose shooting came out that was the early story, with three straight three-pointers to take an early 14-12 lead.

Jordan Walsh picked up two early fouls for Boston, and Hugo Gonzalez came into the game, picking up the tough Cade Cunningham defensive assignment. Cunningham immediately shot over the Boston rookie, hitting his second triple of the game. On the next possession, Cade drove the length of the court, feeding Harris for a layup and forcing Joe Mazzulla to call a timeout.

Anfernee Simons was subbed into the game and hit his first shot of the game, a tough floater side step with the shot clock winding down. Jaylen Brown drove through Cade Cunningham’s chest to convert on a three-point play. Brown was starting to cook, firstly finding space for a layup over Isaiah Stewart and a tough turnaround jumper at the nail over ‘Beef Stew.’ Boston’s 9 straight points gave them the lead back at 25-19.

Boston switched to a 2-1-2 zone midway through the quarter, and it stymied the Pistons’ offensive sets. Gonzalez missed his first corner triple but redeemed himself with another opportunity and converted on his first three points to give Boston the 28-19 lead, with Jaylen Brown actively lodging his third assist of the night. Baylor Scheierman saw late quarter minutes as Boston had a great quarter going into the break up, 33-25.

Jordan Walsh returned to start the second quarter and immediately stole the ball from Cunningham and went down the other end, converting on the three-point play. Sam Hauser tweaked his left ankle early in the second quarter as he came down on Neemias Queta’s foot on a rebound attempt. Sam went back to the locker room with the trainers.

Boston went small with Queta on the bench as the Pistons’ second unit hustled and scrapped to keep the road team in the game. Cunningham hit a step-back three-pointer over Minott as the Pistons got it back to within 2 points. A Jaden Ivey layup tied things at 41 apiece with seven minutes remaining in the half.

Cunningham had 13 points and 7 assists for Detroit in the first half, Jaylen Brown had 18 points and 5 assists, and Pritchard chipped in 12 points for the home team as fans of both teams witnessed an evenly contested first half. It remained close at the half with 10 lead changes through 24 minutes, Boston up by 4 at the half, 57-53.

The second half started at a frantic pace, with both teams running the floor and taking shots early in the shot clock. Derrick White converted on his first two shots in the second half, and Queta and Duren continued to physically battle on the interior.

Neemias Queta was trailing the offensive play at the 8-minute mark and dribbled past Duren to sky for a loud two-handed dunk as the home crowd went crazy, Boston up 66-58.

Cade Cunningham was shooting with confidence in the third; he hit on his fifth triple of the night as Boston’s lead once again evaporated. Isaiah Stewart and Jaylen Brown got tangled in a physical altercation on a free throw rebound; the Detroit power forward clipped Brown’s throat with his forearm, and Brown responded with a two-arm push. The replay was reviewed, and both players would be called for a technical foul at the 5-minute mark of the third.

Caris LeVert and Derrick White traded buckets as both teams took turns in the lead. Detroit was getting frustrated with the second-half whistles, as both teams were in the bonus with 3:45 to go in the half. Walsh picked up his fourth foul on a suspect foul call with Cunningham driving to the basket. Walsh had only played 8 and a half minutes in the game at that point.

Boston’s hot shooting first quarter had well and truly dried up, as the Celtics went just 1-18 from three in a second and third quarter stretch. Boston had no choice but to attack the paint, and Brown and Simons hit on consecutive paint attempts. The Pistons outscored Boston in the third to take an 85-81 lead into the fourth.

Detroit kept the pressure on Boston to start the fourth as they outscored the home team 8-4 to start the quarter. Simons scored on a driving layup past Ausar Thompson, and the Celtics got out in transition following a Duncan Robinson three-pointer attempt as Derrick White nailed a running pull-up triple with the Pistons retreating.

White drove from the 45 as Cunningham picked up his fifth foul, and the Celtics guard converted on a three-point play, trailing 93-96. With Cunningham forced to the bench in foul trouble, Caris LaVert and Javonte Green hit big back-to-back shots to extend the Pistons lead.

Jaylen Brown finally hit his first three of the game with four minutes to go in the game. Brown swatted away LaVert but was initially whistled for the foul before the Celtics were successful on a crucial coaching challenge. Derrick White’s huge three-pointer with 3 minutes to go cut the Detroit lead to just 4 as the TD Garden crowd came alive once more. White’s fade away jumper cut it back to 2 points with the game up for grabs.

Derrick White scored a season-high 31 points on the night however the Celtics couldn’t convert down the stretch, Jaylen Brown missed a pair of free throws and Pritchard air balled a wide open three-pointer. Brown had 34 points on the night, White 31 and Pritchard 12 points. Boston next play the Miami Heat at home on Friday 19th of December.

Source: https://www.celticsblog.com/celtics-scores-results/126969/pistons-down-celtics-112-105