Walsh work in progress in Maine
Sam Hauser spent a good portion of his rookie season two years ago playing for the Celtics’ G League affiliate in Maine. On Sunday, he went back to Portland to watch his former team’s 130-112 win over Raptors 905, and he got a closer look at second-round draft pick Jordan Walsh, who has been with the team for most of the season.
“Jordan is coming along well,” Hauser said. “He’s young, he’s learning, but he’s been playing really well. You can tell he’s got a lot of potential and a lot of talent, so I know he’s working really hard, and every time he’s come back here it’s looked like he’s gotten better. So, props to him.”
Walsh, who does not turn 20 until March, is averaging 14.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.4 assists. The Celtics are encouraged by the 6-foot-7-inch forward’s defensive versatility, and they’re hopeful that he can eventually pair that with a respectable 3-point shot.
Hauser, who signed a two-way contract with the Celtics after going undrafted in 2021, was in almost the opposite situation during his rookie year. He was known as a knockdown shooter but there were questions about his ability to guard opponents at the highest level. He has shown that he is a capable defender, even if teams do not always seem to realize it as they attack him relentlessly.
Hauser said that in Maine, Walsh should find the balance between working on his strengths and using the larger role to expand his all-around game.
“I think he’s done a good job of that so far. and I think when he does come up here, he’s probably going to be a defender, a spot shooter, and find a role on this team,” Hauser said. “But down there, you can see what he’s got and what potential he has. I think they’ve been working on him with that, and I think he’s doing a good job.”
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said the team receives an email update about Walsh’s play after every Maine game, and the coaches on both teams work together to build a checklist for his progress.
“We’re just trying to create that culture of development and understanding of, like, what you’re doing up there matters,” Mazzulla said. “It’s really important.”
Winning mentality
At 10-0, the Celtics are the only NBA team without a home loss this season. It could be an encouraging development following last season’s playoffs, when they were just 5-6 at TD Garden. But Mazzulla said the sample size remains small, and he prefers not to view games differently based on their location.
“I think more about just learning what leads to winning regardless,” he said. “I think that’s the thing we’re trying to really make clear to everybody, and our team in general, is the things that lead to winning are the things that lead to winning regardless of where you play, and the hardest things to do are those things all the time. So we have to just continue to fight for that mind-set.”
The Celtics will face the Cavaliers at TD Garden on Tuesday and Thursday before playing a two-game set at home against the Magic.
Looking at big picture
The Lakers sprayed champagne in their locker room after winning the inaugural In-Season Tournament by defeating the Pacers in the championship on Saturday night. Entering the quarterfinals, the Celtics were heavy favorites to win the event, but they were eliminated by Indiana.
Although Mazzulla was disappointed about the exit, he said the team must see the bigger picture.
“That was my whole point in the beginning, like, if we’re going to use all our emotional energy to do this one thing, and we still have 61 games left, what’s going to be our motivation after that?” he said.
“So, are we frustrated that we didn’t get a chance to win a championship? Yes. But do we have to see that the things that go into winning a championship are the things that go into winning on a Monday night in the middle of January when no one really wants to play? So, we’re really fighting for that mind-set and identity. Can things be important all the time?”