Celtics Landed ‘Violent Defender’ In Second-Rounder Jordan Walsh

The Boston Celtics might’ve landed a defensive void-closing prospect on draft night that could help them amid the uncertainty of trading away Marcus Smart.

Jordan Walsh, who the Celtics selected at No. 38 overall out of Arkansas, spent his one-and-done run with the Razorbacks showcasing his defensive intensity and versatility. Obviously catching the eye of Boston president of basketball operations Brad Stevens, Walsh’s college coach, Eric Musselman, vouched for the 19-year-old.

Musselman deems Walsh’s style of play best describes him as a “violent defender.”

“I used that term last year quite often,” Musselman told NBC Sports Boston. “It’s about violently jumping in passing lanes, violently going after rebounds and rebounding the ball outside of his area. He can crash into bodies, he’s not afraid of contact. And, hence, the phrase, ‘Violent defender.'”

That’s encouraging considering where the C’s stand following the Smart departure.

Last season, the Celtics took a step back from the defense-first approach that made them the league leaders in defensive rating (106.2) during their NBA Finals run in 2022. That played a huge hand in hindering Boston’s chances at both the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference and its shot at a second consecutive trip to the Finals, giving Walsh a picture-perfect opportunity to show what can bring to the table.

“Defensively, what Jordan Walsh does is he can guard a guy, individually, and take a premier scorer out of a game,” Musselman explained. “That’s what he did at the college level, where we could assign him to a top player on the other team and then not have to give any help. So he’s a great lockdown defender, individually, and then off the ball.”

Walsh, who’s listed at 6-foot-7, totaled 40 steals in 36 games at Arkansas last season, notably showing an ability to fight throw screens and give opposing offenses a difficult time getting to the basket.

If Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla hopes to get back to re-establishing Boston’s defensive identity, utilizing Walsh in the reserve unit mix could pay off and further explain the team’s selection on draft night.