Walsh confident in taking his first steps
LAS VEGAS — Celtics rookie Jordan Walsh was wide open when he received a pass in the corner during a recent summer league practice. It was a perfect chance to fire up a shot, but Walsh initially passed it up.
“And the gym went crazy,” Walsh said Saturday. “They were like, ‘Jordan, what are you doing?’ Like, they were yelling at me. They were like, ‘You have to shoot it.’ ”
Walsh, the 38th pick of last month’s draft, soon realized that this is the time to truly start working on what the Celtics will one day need him to become. His defense is probably NBAready right now, but his shot will take time.
And Saturday he appeared focused on this pursuit, as he drilled 4 of 6 3-pointers in the Celtics’ 99-88 loss to the Heat in their Las Vegas Summer League opener. Walsh did not hit more than two 3-pointers in a game during his freshman season at Arkansas last year.
“I feel like them believing in me and giving me that opportunity and telling me to shoot it, that’s the biggest part,” he said. “Because that builds confidence in me and that builds confidence in the team for sure.”
Walsh finished with a team-high 18 points and five rebounds. But it was otherwise an uneven performance by the Celtics. Justin Champagnie, the lone member of last season’s regular roster on this summer squad, was 3 for 13 with 11 rebounds and four turnovers, as the Celtics were outscored by 19 points during his 30 minutes on the floor.
Point guard J.D. Davison, a second-round pick last year, had promising moments in transition but struggled in half-court sets. He had 14 points and 11 assists, but was 1 for 5 from the 3-point line, with five turnovers. Point guard Dalano Banton, who agreed to a two-year deal last week, sat out with a sore hand.
Boston had no answer for Heat center Orlando Robinson, who erupted for 36 points and 11 rebounds.
A 3-pointer by Celtics guard Mychal Mulder with 1:33 left in the third quarter capped a 24-9 run that gave Boston a 75-66 lead. But the Celtics were just 5 for 22 from the field in the fourth quarter and outscored, 28-13.
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Oshae Brissett did not sign with the Celtics to become one of their cornerstones. He is confident that he will be able to fit in with any lineup in any situation and provide whatever the moment requires.
And when having a pliable role, opportunities will sometimes arise.
“On a random night, I feel like I’ll be able to go off or have a good game,” Brissett said, “just because of how random we do play.”
Two seasons ago, the Celtics were treated to one frustrating example of this from the opposite sideline. Brissett mostly filled gaps with the Pacers, but on Feb. 27, 2022, he hit six 3-pointers and erupted for 27 points in his team’s 21point romp against a more talented Boston team.
The performance was so unusual that after firing up one of his late 3-pointers, Brissett turned and started running downcourt before the ball had even gone in, a nod to one of Stephen Curry’s signature celebrations when he is truly flammable.
“You know what’s crazy?” Brissett recalled Saturday, smiling. “One of my teammates, Terry Taylor, was like, ‘Yo, if you shoot another one, you have to do it.’ That’s why after, if you watch the video, I was pointing to the bench and I was pointing at him. So, that one was for him.”
The Celtics surely at least remembered that performance when they called Brissett at the start of free agency and offered him a two-year, minimum-salary deal to bolster their bench. Boston believes that the 6-foot-7-inch forward can provide defensive versatility and connect on open 3-pointers while helping reduce the regular-season wear and tear on star wings Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
“Well, when they got the [ball], they can do what they want,” Brissett said. “I’m going to go crash and rebound and I feel like I’ve got the easy job. That’s what they do and I’m excited to play with them, excited to watch, excited to be a part of the team, and be out there and show what I can do.”
Brissett, 25, said he could sense the connectivity of this Celtics core when he faced the team in recent years, and he noticed how their energy often received a jolt from TD Garden crowds.
He played with Celtics guard Malcolm Brogdon in Indiana for two seasons and said the veteran was a valuable source of support when he was just simply trying to turn his 10-day contracts into something more permanent. He also received congratulatory text messages from Tatum, Al Horford, and Derrick White after his deal was finalized.
“This team is trending in the right direction and I feel like now we have a lot of great pieces to really get over that hump,” Brissett said. “I’m excited to get to training camp and start and just build, so we can start playing late in June.”