After Saturday's Struggles, Jordan Walsh Returning to What Works Best: 'Focus was at the Wrong Thing'

Bobby Krivitsky | Jul 15, 2024

Feb 4, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jordan Walsh (27) waits for action to resume during the second half against the Memphis Grizzlies at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

In the Celtics' Summer League debut, a 119-114 loss to the Heat, among what stood out was the most surprising takeaway from the matchup: the rough nature of Jordan Walsh's performance.

The 38th overall pick in last year's NBA Draft went 1/8 from the field, 0/6 from beyond the arc, and he tended to let his frustrations with his shooting, and at times the officiating, get the best of him.

Walsh picked up six fouls, had multiple drives where he was out of control, and only dished out one assist, an uncharacteristic development for a player who loves to facilitate for his teammates.

After Monday's shoot around at the Thomas & Mack Center, the 20-year-old wing didn't shy from what happened on Saturday while sharing the root cause of his struggles.

"It's no secret, the first game for me was terrible," said an upbeat Walsh. "But I felt like my focus was at the wrong thing. I feel like I should have focused more on playing how I would play if Tatum was now on the floor. I feel like I was thinking (that) I was the only guy on the floor, not in a selfish way, but as a way of like, 'I want to get my shots' and stuff like that, and I feel like I put too much on making shots."

When asked whether he flushes a performance like Saturday's or tries to apply that frustration in a positive way toward Monday's matchup vs. the Lakers, the Texas native conveyed the following to Inside The Celtics.

"I'm definitely flushing that one. I don't ever want to hear about that game ever again," said Walsh. D Mac (D.J. MacLeay) told me you get one care to give, and then you've got to let it go. So, (I) thought about it yesterday; I watched film on it. I'll watch film of it today. But I've gotta let it go and focus on this next game."

It's entirely understandable that after a rookie season mostly spent in Maine, where he stuck to the role he projects to have in the NBA with commendable discipline, sprinting to the corners and spotting up for threes rather than trying to showcase himself as a scorer, it's understandable that the six-foot-seven wing arrived at Summer League wanting to seize an opportunity to shoulder more responsibility as a scorer.

It's also impressive that it took only one game for him to return to the mindset and approach that allowed him to play an essential role in helping lead the Maine Celtics to the G League Finals.

Walsh's chance to channel his inner Taylor Swift, shake off Saturday's struggles, and help lead Boston past Los Angeles and to its first Summer League victory will tip-off on Monday night at 10:30 ET.

Further Reading

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