Checking in with JD Davison and Jordan Walsh

Boston’s youngsters have been impressing in Maine with JD Davison picking up G-League Player of the Week honors on Tuesday. The 2022 second-round draft pick averaged 27 points and 9.7 assists in three games helping the Maine Celtics go 2-1 in the week. For the season, the Alabama product is leading the G-League in assists with 8.8 per game and is ninth in scoring (23.8 ppg).

Davison has adjusted well to the G-League given it’s his second year in Maine. Last season, JD averaged 12.5 points and 8.7 assists per contest. However, it was his 2.9 turnovers per game that was the point of contention. The conversation escalated in the Summer League when Davison registered 22 turnovers and shot below 30% from the field.

Through 12 games, Davison is averaging four turnovers a game in Maine, but despite the turnovers, he’s having a strong start to the season. His athletic ability and his quick first step are apparent as he’s able to get to whatever spot on the floor at will.

In this clip, Davison’s quick change of direction catches his primary defender off guard.

Davison is an explosive athlete who can quickly get into the paint and finish at the rim. He’s also shifty enough to create separation for a shot.

Although Davison does look for his shot, he has a good balance between shooting and passing.

One of Davison’s playmaking beneficiaries is JD Walsh. Whether it’s in transition or a simple pick-and-roll, the duo make plays when they’re on the floor together.

In transition, Walsh starts the break before finding Davison who unselfishly gives it back to Walsh for the emphatic finish.

On Walsh, the Celtics 2023 pick has gone through a bit of an early transformation within the first few games of the G-League. Walsh realized quickly he can get to the rim and finish above defenders whenever he wants, but that won’t be his role when he gets a chance in Boston.

In Chris Forsberg’s piece for NBC Sports Boston, he said Joe Mazzulla wants Walsh to prioritize “defense and how to impact the game without scoring.”

“We’re just trying to create that culture of development and understanding of, what you’re doing up there matters,” Mazzulla said after receiving reports on their progress and development. “It’s really important. And it’s both: We want you to develop but we also want you to enjoy the game, so how do we go about doing that?”

One way Walsh can impact the game is by rebounding. Whether it’s on the offense or defense, the ability to grab rebounds can be a way for Walsh to get on the parquet.

Another way to get on the court is defense. Walsh has the physical measurements of being a shutdown defender standing at 6’6 with a 7’2 wingspan. However, despite the physical tools, Walsh needs to strengthen the mental side of the game.

Here Walsh can be seen ball-watching and losing his man leading to a basket.

In the next clip, Walsh goes to close out on the defender and jump stops in front of him which allows his man to dribble past him. These wrinkles in his defense will iron out in the film room and through game reps.

On this current Boston Celtics team, having two All-NBA forwards in Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum means that there has to be spacing for them to operate. Walsh’s best opportunity to get playing time with Boston in the future is if he becomes a reliable 3-and-D player.

At Arkansas, Walsh converted 20 of 72 threes (27.8%). He’s still struggling with his shot shooting 30.2% with Maine. However, he has good form and has been shooting in rhythm. The shot just isn’t consistent, yet.

Shooting with confidence is sometimes half the battle, and Walsh doesn’t hesitate when he gets the ball beyond the arc.

Walsh does a good job relocating as Davison drives to give his guard a better passing angle leading to an open three.

The next action shows a ghost screen from Walsh to get him an open three, a move we see Sam Hauser do frequently to draw the defense in, leaving him open for a three.

Hauser was recently in Maine to watch Walsh and some of his former G-League teammates the other day and praised the work Walsh has put in this season.

Despite not shooting great from three, the former Razorback is still finding ways to score, putting up back-to-back 20-point outings.

Although three-point shooting isn’t a strength of Walsh, he’s able to score with his finishing ability. His size and length allow him to absorb contact and score above the rim and power his way through defenders.

Walsh is a rim runner and is hard to stop in transition.

While it seems unlikely either Davison or Walsh will get significant minutes in Boston this season, their development in Maine is crucial for the Celtics. With a star-studded lineup, it’s unlikely that Brad Stevens will draft more first-round talent as their contracts are guaranteed. Developing players that are drafted in the second round or even undrafted players can help Boston significantly. Just look at Miami’s key role players over the years.

You can even look at Sam Hauser who was an undrafted player in the 2021 NBA Draft. Hauser signed with Boston on a two-way deal and earned himself playing time, eventually landing him a three-year contract on a relatively low salary helping Boston’s cap flexibility.

Maine is a perfect spot for both Walsh and Davison to continue their development and hopefully carve out a role in the future in Boston.