Earning consistent playing time under Joe Mazzulla is not easy. In his first few seasons as head coach of the Boston Celtics, he maintained strict rotations. Especially for playoff rotations, he largely stuck with eight-man groups.
However, following several departures from the 2024 championship core, opportunities for minutes have become more plentiful. But even when a player earns those chances, it does not guarantee a permanent spot in the rotation. Mazzulla remains unforgiving toward prominent mental errors and lapses in effort. On the other hand, he is more willing to give players opportunities to prove themselves.
This tactic remains prevalent even in the final week of the regular season. The latest player to benefit from this is Jordan Walsh.
After logging zero minutes across six straight games in March, Walsh is back in the mix. He is averaging 20.0 minutes per game over Boston’s last seven contests. Against the red-hot Charlotte Hornets on April 7, he made his biggest impact of that stretch yet.
Walsh’s never-ending motor and defensive intensity embody Boston’s hyper-competitive team culture. He and the rest of the ‘stay ready squad’ are why the Celtics are as dangerous as ever.
Impact Against Charlotte
The Hornets, a surging team since January, arrived at TD Garden under the bright lights of national television. LaMelo Ball rose to the occasion early, hitting circus shot after circus shot on his way to 34 points in the game’s first 28.5 minutes.
Despite looking unguardable for much of the night, Ball’s showcase came to a screeching halt in the third quarter — when Walsh checked in.
“Some big minutes right here from Jordan Walsh,” said NBC Sports Boston analyst Brian Scalabrine, as Walsh entered at the 7:31 mark. “He’s in there with one assignment: stop LaMelo Ball.”
And that he did. Ball did not make another field goal for the remainder of the game.
On his second defensive possession after checking back in, Walsh fought through two screens, stripped Ball, and ignited a fastbreak that resulted in a Jaylen Brown layup.
Walsh’s defense, along with timely scoring — including a go-ahead basket for Boston’s first lead of the second half — was key in turning the tide. His efforts contributed to a 13-3 Boston run, giving the Celtics the lead entering the fourth quarter
Although Walsh didn’t play in the fourth, Mazzulla still credited him with shifting the energy to spark the comeback.
“I thought he started that for us,” Mazzulla said. “He understands that when he’s at his best defensively is impacting the other team’s best players — creating turnovers, making things difficult. I thought he did a good job of that.”
The Value of Staying Ready
Later in his postgame press conference, Mazzulla explained how Walsh is an example of the team’s overarching mindset when navigating playing-time fluctuation.
“I think the story of our season is we got 14, 15 guys who can impact winning,” Mazzulla said. “When it’s not your turn, what’s your mindset, and what’s your consistency? Are you still chipping away at the workouts? How serious are you taking film?… It starts with Jordan’s mindset. If you’re not playing, how are you getting better? He continues to do that and I think that’s why he can pick up where he left off.”
Jaylen Brown echoed Mazzulla’s urge for players to stay locked in and believe in the process.
“I think he’s still continuing to get better,” Brown said. “He’s got to continue to have the right mindset and right approach, and have faith that everything will work itself out.”
The buy-in across the roster has allowed several Celtics — many of whom have minimal NBA experience in prominent roles — to contribute meaningfully to another 54-plus win season. Boston has 14 different players who’ve logged over 250 minutes this season — the most of any season under Mazzulla.
Ready for the Playoffs?
Boston’s newfound depth gives them lineup versatility unlike any recent iteration of the Celtics.
Walsh is having a career season and should have the necessary experience to be ready for a postseason test. Brown, who Walsh referred to as his top mentor, believes in him to make an impact if needed.
“Jordan has the ability to change games,” Brown added in his post-Charlotte presser. “His athleticism has the ability to change games. That’s something that in the playoffs or in the future, certain matchups we’ll definitely need. Just continuing to urge him to have discipline, make the right plays out there, and bring energy to our group.”
Predicting the postseason rotation is a tough task given how the regular season played out. But whether it’s Jordan Walsh, Luka Garza, or anyone else from the bench unit who has given good minutes this season, Joe Mazzulla is equipped with more tools at his disposal than ever before.
Leave a comment