The Boston Celtics were written off this season. Without Jayson Tatum, people believed it was a throwaway year, and they had no chance of competing in an already weaker Eastern Conference.
Now, about a third of the way through the season, they are the third seed in the East with their win over the Toronto Raptors on Sunday.
Boston is 15-9, has won five straight games, and is 10-2 in their last twelve games. What has been the cause of their recent success? Well, it may be the emergence of Jordan Walsh, who entered the team's starting lineup in mid-November.
Since then, he has disrupted other teams' offenses, wreaked havoc, and racked up steals and blocks at will.
Walsh is in the third year of his young career and recently made basketball history. In the Celtics' games against the New York Knicks, Washington Wizards, and Los Angeles Lakers, Walsh became the first ever non-center to score 45+ points on 90% or better from the field in a three-game span.
In these three games, Walsh shot a combined 18-of-19. Mind you, he wasn’t even part of the Celtics rotation to begin the year.
The absence of Tatum has opened up more minutes for Walsh, and he has seized the opportunity.
Although he isn’t as flashy as Tatum or Jaylen Brown, for that matter, Walsh has freak athleticism. He has been used to guard the opponent's best player, and even Austin Reaves claimed he could be one of the league's best defenders.
Walsh is averaging 7.1 points per game so far this season and will likely continue to improve that number as the season goes on.
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