Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves is having himself an All-Star-worthy season so far, but he didn’t look that comfortable against Boston Celtics wing Jordan Walsh on Friday night as the Celtics beat the Lakers 126-105.
In defense of Reaves, he finished the night with 36 points and eight assists. Much of that production came against non-Walsh defenders as the game wore on, however.
Early in the contest, Walsh was making life difficult for Reaves, which was a contributing factor in the Celtics surging out to a big lead in the first quarter.
Following the game, Reaves told CLNS Media’s Bobby Manning that he could see Walsh becoming “one of the best defenders in the league for many years to come.”
The Celtics are now 9-2 since head coach Joe Mazzulla placed Walsh in the starting lineup. Aside from his defensive excellence, Walsh has only missed one shot from the field over the past two games (14-of-15 for 39 points).
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The 21-year-old second-round pick has arrived. Walsh is still just 80 games into his NBA career, and he’s showing immense potential as a two-way demon that impacts winning with his length, effort, athleticism, and growing skill set.
Originally from Texas, Walsh was a five-star recruit out of high school. He played for the University of Arkansas for one year before declaring for the 2023 NBA draft, where he was selected at No. 38 overall by the Sacramento Kings (and promptly traded to the Celtics).
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Boston signed Walsh to a four-year, $7.6 million deal in July of 2023.
Featured image via David Butler II/Imagn Images
