BOSTON — Boston Celtics youngster Jordan Walsh became an NBA champion in his rookie year, but that doesn’t mean he’s experienced in the playoffs. In fact, he entered just 8 postseason games in his first two seasons with the C’s, averaging a little over 3 minutes per outing in that short span.
The 2026 NBA Playoffs should be a different story. Walsh is averaging career-highs across the board and despite the return of Celtics star Jayson Tatum (who is an obvious starter over the third-year Celtic), he is still earning more playing time than in previous seasons. That could hint at a larger role in the upcoming postseason, and Celtics star Jaylen Brown is excited on his teammate’s behalf.
“Jordan has had a great year,” Brown said on his Twitch stream. “Now it’s like Christmas time. Playoffs, best time of the year. Celtics legends are born during the playoffs.”
The longest-tenured Celtic wasn’t just talking to his Twitch chat, though. He was directly informing Walsh — who joined him on stream — before confronting him with an important question:
“Are you ready for the smoke, my boy?” Brown asked the 22-year-old.
Walsh didn’t hesitate to answer, revealing evident excitement in the process.
“For sure,” he responded. “I’ve been waiting for this one. Year 3 — I’ve been waiting for this one.”
With just four games remaining in the regular season, the Celtics currently hold the second seed in the Eastern Conference and will head into the playoffs in that spot or, at worst, with the third seed. Expectations are once again high for Boston and Walsh sounded thrilled to have a chance to shine on the biggest stage.
“After we won the first year I’ve been so excited to go back,” he admitted. “This time I get a chance to impact the game, oh yeah…It’s the moment I’ve been waiting on.”
How much Walsh will see the floor in the playoffs remains to be seen, yet he’s demonstrated his worth as a pesky defensive specialist who can hound an opposing team’s star player. And while the former second-round draft pick is far from a fully developed player, his growth this season has been apparent.
“I’m starting to see Jordan play like a grown man,” Brown remarked during a postgame press conference in early December. “It’s amazing to see just from him coming out of his shell, being aggressive.”
Before Walsh can show what he’s made of in the postseason, he’ll have some time to prepare as the Celtics’ regular season winds down. His next opportunity arrives on Tuesday night when the C’s host the 43-36 Charlotte Hornets — a team desperate to escape the Play-In Tournament (and maybe avoid a first-round matchup with the Celtics).
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