With August coming to a close, the NBA season opener is one month away. Going into next season, many teams will look different from the prior year. Of those teams, the Boston Celtics will look the most different from what they've been.
Going into next season, the 2024 NBA champions won't have 5 of the rotation players that were involved in bringing home banner 18. With how different the team will look, many players will be given the chance to showcase their skills and prove they belong in the NBA. One forward in particular should be given the chance to sink or swim this season.
Jordan Walsh Has Big Opportunity This Season
After trading back in the 2023 NBA draft, Brad Stevens selected Jordan Walsh with the 38th pick in the draft. Walsh spent one year in college, playing for Eric Musselman at Arkansas, where he became a versatile defender. While Walsh had work to do offensively, he was an interesting prospect due to his physical tools.
So far with the Celtics, Walsh hasn't had the most opportunities to play consistently in Boston. He spent most of his rookie season in Maine, where he helped lead them to the G-League championship game. While he appeared in 52 games in his sophomore season, compared to 9 in his rookie season, his minutes per game went down from 9.2 to 7.8. Walsh has shown some flashes, but not enough to crack the Celtics' rotation over the past few years. However, with many minutes available next season, this is the time to let him see consistent minutes.
While some of the returning veterans aren't viewing this season as a throwaway, this year is the perfect time to let the young guys play and see if they can provide value to the team. If the young guys struggle and don't produce, you know they can be replaced, but if they play well, you keep them for next season, and when the team is better equipped to compete for a championship.
The Celtics will be an interesting team to follow, largely due to how they will allocate rotation minutes and whether any player can break out with the extra playing time. Media day and Training camp for the NBA season are less than a month away, beginning on Monday, September 29. The Celtics open the season against the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday, October 22, at 7:30.