For a few minutes early Monday afternoon, Jordan Walsh stood at midcourt of the newly renovated gym at the Cambridge Community Center holding a microphone and instructed dozens of young campers on some defensive fundamentals.
Over and over, Walsh – the Celtics’ draft pick last week – pushed the kids lined up in front of him to do an array of defensive drills such as getting into a stance, sliding and even diving on the floor for a loose ball. The 19-year-old Walsh may have been drafted less than five days ago, but the campers had a great teacher.
In his lone season at Arkansas, Walsh – with his 7-foot-2 wingspan and relentless approach – showcased his advanced defensive skills that made him an NBA prospect. And as he enters the league, the 38th overall pick fully understands it’s defense that will not only represent his path to playing time, but also endear himself to Celtics fans.
“A guy who harps on defense, who plays super-hard, who’s tough, who’s going to be consistent in that aspect of the game, who’s going to do the simple things that help winning, that other people may overlook,” Walsh said of what the Celtics should expect from him.
“Like diving on the floor. I heard that Boston likes people who dive on the floor more than people who dunk the ball. That guy is going to be me. I’ll still do a little dunking, but that guy will be me. I’m just a guy who wants to do whatever it takes to win.”
It’s been a whirlwind week for Walsh, who spent draft night at home with his family. He anticipated he may be drafted by the Celtics after having a couple of pre-draft workouts with them, but didn’t know he was selected until Brad Stevens called him. Then he heard from Joe Mazzulla.
Walsh arrived in Boston for the first time on Sunday night and he said he’s already falling in love with the city.
“It was amazing, a dream come true, honestly,” Walsh said. “To hear your name called means the world to a guy like me who’s been dreaming of that. I’m super happy I’m in Boston and glad they trusted me with their pick. I’m just glad that I’m here. …
“I’m going to an organization that loves winning, and I love winning. So it means the world to me.”
Now, the work begins. Walsh will soon turn his attention to Summer League, which begins in early July in Las Vegas and months of work ahead.
It’s clear he has big goals. Several times during his introductory press conference on Monday, Walsh mentioned his desire to work with and learn from Celtics stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. He said he’s already reached out to Al Horford with a text, hoping the veteran will take him under his wing and show him the ropes.
“It’s just a lot of work,” Walsh said of this summer. “Now that I have the opportunity to work with guys like Tatum and Brown and Al, to be able to have those people who have that experience who can teach me and give me hints of wisdom so I can better my game? That means the world. And I have a whole summer to work with them to prepare for the season, so that’s the most important thing. I’m taking all the advice I can to be able to hopefully be able to achieve what they’ve achieved.”
To do so, Walsh knows he needs to improve as a shooter.
Walsh shot 27.8 percent from 3-point range at Arkansas. Last week, Stevens mentioned he thought Walsh looked hesitant at times, but always thought his touch looked good and that he’s a better shooter than he’s shown. If defense is Walsh’s ticket to getting on the court, he understands that becoming a better shooter will help him stay on it.
“Particularly on offense, I want to be able to open the floor for guys like Tatum and Brown,” said Walsh, who will wear No. 27 with the Celtics. “Just being able to make that shot when they need it and they know that if they pass it to me and I’m open, I’m gonna shoot it and it’s gonna go in. For them to have that confidence and trust in me, that’s what I want to earn.”
But that’s down the road. For now, it’s just the beginning for Walsh, who had his mom with him on Monday as he enjoyed his first day as a Celtic. “Whenever you see me dunk a ball in the game, she’ll be dunking with me,” Walsh said, noting that this was a dream come true for his family as much as it is for him.
Walsh said he could feel the winning atmosphere within the organization and love for the Celtics all around the city during both his pre-draft workouts and upon his arrival this week. He’s looking forward to earning that when he checks into a game for the first time this season.
For Walsh, it’ll all start on defense.
“That’s what’s going to get me on the floor now,” Walsh said. “That’s what my game is. That’s what the foundation of my game, and that’s what everything else stems out of. So to be able to harp on that, that’s not something like scoring the ball, to be able to harp on defense, just the energy and effort. I feel like that’s really important. …
“I’m one of those guys who’s going to defend 1-4 relentlessly. I’m going to do whatever it takes to get that stop that’s going to give us the advantage against the other team. That’s the foundation for my game. … I take so much pride in that part of the game.”
