Prior to the 2025-26 campaign Brad Stevens didn't know what to expect after the Celtics lost a chunk of their 2024 championship core to trades, free agency and of course a major injury this past summer.
Five of the eight rotation players from last season have been replaced with young talent that didn't have much NBA experience due to being on deep rosters and lack of opportunities over the past few years.
But after 26 games and with the Celtics owning the fourth best record in the Eastern Conference at 15-11, it's fair to say Stevens has once again met his biggest challenge to date as president of basketball operations with Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and Payton Pritchard leading a much different younger looking roster
It begins with Jordan Walsh, who's started over the last 15 games, as he has been the story of the Celtics turnaround thus far. The 21-year-old is averaging 9.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.7 steals in that span, while shooting 64.6% from the field, 50% from three-point range and getting it done on the other side of the basketball -- quickly becoming one of the better defenders in the NBA.
When it comes to young group of forwards that also include Josh Minott, Baylor Scheierman and even rookie Hugo Gonzalez auditioning to fill in the hole left by Jayson Tatum's absence in the starting lineup, the headliner of the four wings trying out for the part and nailing it has been none other than Walsh.
Still, not only have all four youngsters made positive impacts and are permanently in the rotation for coach Joe Mazzulla, they have already surpassed all expectations in the process.
Speaking with the media Wednesday afternoon for the first time this season, Stevens gave credit to the veteran leadership of Jaylen Brown and others who don't necessarily see regular minutes that have made it a positive environment for everyone to succeed in.
"All of our young wings have shown that they're capable of something -- and I think that's largely due to the fact that we have all of these older guys that are really even some of the guys that aren't playing as much right now, like Xavier [Tillman] and Chris [Boucher] and Luka [Garza], that are giving them that environment," Stevens said to reporters. "And I think it starts with Jaylen. I think it starts with Derrick, Payton, obviously, those guys that have been there."
Stevens acknowledged that while the Celtics roster had a ton of turnover this past offseason, the veterans may not have not been as supportive with their younger teammates given the circumstances entering a year of uncertainty and penciled-in roles.
"It's not easy when you go through the changes we went through, and the talent that's lost, to have that kind of patience, Stevens said. "To start out 0-3, and to just be focused on getting better, I thought it was a really good sign."
While Minott is putting up 7.0 points and 4.4 rebounds in 19 minutes per contest, Scheierman is shooting 44.7% from deep and 19-year-old Gonzalez is also knocking down 47.8% from behind the arc, it's been Walsh that has the most unexpected impact with Tatum still rehabbing from a torn Achilles.
Walsh, who didn't crack Mazzulla's rotation over the first two seasons of his professional career has helped lead the Celtics to a 10-5 record since being inserted into the starting lineup in mid-November.
"I knew he had no prayer on the first team," Stevens said with a smile, reflecting on how deep and talented the 2023-24 championship roster was. "The team was really good, and last year's team was basically the first team. And so it was going to be hard to crack that one, too."
Despite being his third season in the NBA, Walsh is beginning to flourish at the right time according to Stevens -- drafting the then 19-year-old with the 38th overall pick back in 2023 and is still younger than most current college prospect.
"These guys are young," Stevens said. "I go to college games almost every weekend, and I'm watching prospects that are the same age or older some of the time, so you have to give them the grace of time. And then also, sometimes you’re not going to get the opportunity that they get. And I think that's why you see such a desire to take advantage of it, and that comes with a burden you put on yourself, and that ends up creating more ups and downs generally."
Walsh's defense is what gotten him more playing time, as he's had to guard some of the league's best scorers like James Harden, Tyrese Maxey and Donovan Mitchell just to name a few. Now he's not only in the rotation for good but also displaying his abilities as a two-way player.
"He's got a role, and I think Joe and his staff have done an excellent job of defining what those guys need to do to be good," Stevens said. "And sometimes it takes steps -- you start to see Jordan now occasionally more driving closeouts and dumping it to Neemy for a dunk, or dumping it to somebody else off of a roll, or kicking it out off of a roll -- your role expands when you show that you can consistently be good in the simplest of things. And I say simplest, it's hard to play that hard, especially against the guys he's guarding, and he's doing a good job."
The Celtics will look to get back on track following a two-game skid when they host the Miami Heat Friday night at TD Garden.
Joel Pavón
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