Brad Stevens has yet to make a first-round pick in his tenure as the Boston Celtics’ president, and that’s because the team has been in contention the past few seasons. He has elected to use  draft assets to improve the roster instead of taking a development product in the first round.

But the Celtics still are hoping some youngsters in the organization improve behind the scenes. That’s where their lone draft pick, Jordan Walsh, is this season. He has yet to make his NBA debut, instead serving stints with the Maine Celtics.

Sam Hauser, who recently made the trip to Portland, gave an update on Walsh, the 38th pick.

“Jordan is coming along well,” Hauser said. “He’s young, he’s learning, but he’s been playing really well. You can tell he’s got a lot of potential and a lot of talent, so I know he’s working really hard and every time he’s come back here it’s looked like he’s gotten better. So props to him.”

Walsh got his feet wet during the Celtics’ training camp in his first pro season. He flashed plenty of talent as one of the more impressive rookies in Summer League. While his defensive skills and length are important tools, he still has to round out his game, considering he’s just 19 years old.

Walsh is averaging 14.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 30.3 minutes in his 12 games for Maine. The 3-point shooting can be better at 30.2%, but his 5.3 attempts per game is a positive sign considering the team wants him to shoot whenever he’s open. Those are all pluses. Walsh needs playing time and he’s getting plenty of that in the G League.

The Celtics, who hope Walsh can develop into a rotation player, signed him to a four-year deal this summer, and he can be cheap production down the line. Considering the salary-cap constraints coming with the new collective bargaining agreement, finding and developing guys like Walsh will be important to continue being competitive.

Obviously, Walsh has to juggle between being a primary guy in Maine while taking a back seat in Boston, but there are plenty of learning lessons in that, Hauser said. Hauser knows that kind of adjustment; he was a two-way player as a rookie, seeing plenty of time between the G League and NBA.

“I think you kind of have to have a balance,” Hauser said. “Work on the things that you know, like when you come up here, you’re going to have to do, and then also expanding your game as much as you can when you get the opportunity. I think he’s done a good job of that so far, and I think when he does come up here, he’s probably going to be a defender, a spot shooter, and find a role on this team. But down there, you can see what he’s got and what potential he has.”

SPURS: Center Charles Bassey has a torn anterior cruciate ligament and will miss the rest of the season.

Bassey was on an NBA G League assignment when he hurt his left knee Sunday in the Austin Spurs’ game with the Texas Legends in Dallas.

Bassey, 23, played 19 games with San Antonio this season, and was averaging 3.3 points, four rebounds, 1.1 assists and 10.8 minutes. He averaged 5.7 points and 5.5 rebounds in 35 games with the Spurs last season.

BULLS: Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman are the headliners for the inaugural class for the team’s Ring of Honor.

The first class includes 13 men and the 1995-96 team, which went 72-10 and won the NBA title. The franchise plans to honor the group with a couple of events in January.

The inaugural class also includes Phil Jackson, Jerry Krause, Artis Gilmore, Jerry Sloan, Toni Kukoc, Bob Love, Chet Walker, Johnny “Red” Kerr, Tex Winter and Dick Klein. Jackson coached the 1995-96 team, which had Jordan, Pippen, Rodman and Kukoc, with Krause leading the front office and Winter serving as an assistant coach.

Copy the Story Link

« Previous

NFL notebook: Patrick Mahomes regrets sideline tirade, exchange with Josh Allen

Next »

Tuesday’s girls’ high school roundup: NYA scores at buzzer to beat Winthrop, 45-42