Walsh savors NBA debut, reaction of fans
Working hard on his game in Maine
TD Garden was ready to erupt in the closing moments of the Celtics’ victory over the Spurs on Wednesday night, but it had nothing to do with the outcome of the game.
The win was wrapped up with 3:03 remaining when Jordan Walsh checked in to make his NBA debut, and the remaining crowd was well aware. He received a louder-than-usual ovation as he was introduced, and for the final three minutes, the fans were fully invested in the rookie second-round pick. He was cheered every time he touched the ball on his four rebounds, and the crowd tried to will his first career points into existence.
Walsh missed his only shot attempt, a 3-pointer from the left wing in the final minute, but his debut was still memorable.
“Amazing. I’m never going to forget that,” Walsh said. “Wish I would’ve made the shot, though. But yeah, it was definitely a good feeling being out there.”
Walsh said he sensed the crowd cheering for him and appreciated its awareness for his special moment.
“I definitely could,” Walsh said. “Soon as I was open, the ball started heading towards me and started screaming. I may have been a little nervous. But it’s all part of the game. But I was definitely excited. …
“It was an amazing moment obviously. So much history in this building. So much history with this organization. And the fact that I was able to put on that jersey, it’s amazing. It’s definitely an accomplishment that I’m going to have for the rest of my life.”
After being selected in the second round, the 19-year-old Walsh was never expected to play a significant role on a championship-ready Celtics team. He has spent his entire rookie season to date with G-League Maine to continue his development. Wednesday served as something of a reward for the hard work he’s put in up north.
“I’d say the one thing about Jordan is he got Defensive Player of the Game by Blaine (Mueller), the head coach, after one of the games,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said, “and so just his mindset and approach to understanding how he’s going to be an effective player for us, and I can just tell a difference in his growth from the couple times he played at the beginning of the year to now with his defensive communication, his rebounding, and he’s starting to see how important that is.
“And as far as the fans, I think they’ve been great for us all year, and for them to kind of give a kid like that support says a lot about them. I think it was pretty cool.”
As Mazzulla acknowledged, Walsh’s focus in Maine has been improving in the areas that impact winning. His defense is his greatest strength, something he’ll know will get him on the floor in the NBA, especially on this Celtics team. And after a poor season of shooting in college, Walsh is shooting 40.8 percent from 3-point range in eight games with Maine.
“It’s all about becoming that role player that Boston wants,” Walsh said. “Obviously, whatever it takes to come up here and compete and help us win a championship. That’s the main goal. So whatever I can do to get that, that’s what I’m focused on.”
It will take time beyond this season for Walsh to earn a regular role in Boston. But for now, he’s happy to get his first NBA milestone under his belt.
“I feel like it’s a milestone in everybody’s career that they can’t wait to finally hit,” Walsh said. “And that night for me was tonight and so I’m happy that I hit that milestone.”
Wemby mania
Victor Wembanyama, the most hyped NBA rookie since LeBron James, did not disappoint in his first career game in Boston, where he scored 27 points and dazzled the crowd with some dunks. He enjoyed his first experience playing at TD Garden.
“The floor is special,” Wembanyama said. “Didn’t bother me, but it is special. I mean, it’s just beautiful and the locker room was beautiful. The weight room is way too small, but the locker room is nice.”
Though he’s only 20, Wembanyama noted the growth he’s seen from the Celtics over the last few seasons.
“It’s the depth, everybody can hoop on that team,” Wembanyama said. “Everyone’s a threat on the court, but at the same time, they all know their roles and they’re all willing to share the ball. From the most important franchise guys to the role players, everybody is ready to compete and make the sacrifices. I can see that more compared to the past years as well. Just watching them, I remember clearly watching them in the Finals against Golden State (two) years ago and I can see the growth of that team.”
Jrue Holiday, a fivetime All-Defensive guard, had some trouble defending the 7-foot-4 Wembanyama on Wednesday but embraced the opportunity to guard such a unique player.
“He’s fun to play against. He’s a anomaly,” Holiday said. “He’s definitely a challenge to be able to be that tall and that versatile. I think I guarded him twice and I think he just caught it, shot it over me. For me, especially as a defender, I like that type of stuff because I want to figure out how to stop that. But I think he’s a really good player, really good young player. So I think his future is bright and how he plays the game, I love to watch.”
Tip-ins
Jayson Tatum inched closer to Joel Embiid but remained in third among East frontcourt players in the third round of AllStar fan voting returns released Thursday. Jaylen Brown (fifth, frontcourt), Kristaps Porzingis (sixth, frontcourt), Derrick White (seventh, guards) and Holiday (ninth, guards) all stood pat in fan voting.
Fan voting closes on Saturday, and All-Star Game starters will be announced next Thursday. Fan voting accounts for 50 percent of the vote to decide starters, with players and a media panel accounting for 25 percent each. …
The Celtics reported an empty injury report and will be at full strength for Friday’s showdown against the reigning champion Nuggets.