Can Jordan Walsh fill some of the void?

There's going to be minutes up for grabs next season

Nobody knows what the hell comes next.

The Celtics are staring down a summer that feels like walking through a Silent Hill-style fog. Jrue Holiday might be here, but he might not.

Porzingis could be stretching the floor, getting waived and stretched, or traded out of town like a throwaway card in a Pokémon blister pack.

Hauser's flamethrower could be torching nets in Boston or lighting up scoreboards for whoever pays him next.

And the draft? Teams have pulled rabbits out of hats before, but banking on late picks to give you legitimate depth is like using a slot machine to make rent.

Here's what we know for certain: Tatum's Achilles is torn. And now, the Celtics will make some changes throughout the summer.

So what now?

Boston could chase the Pacers' blueprint in search of that beautiful chaos they're riding through the Finals right now. But Indiana has Tyrese Haliburton orchestrating its symphony. The Celtics don’t have an orchestrator, not now that Tatum will be sidelined.

Mazzulla's got a choice to make, and I keep coming back to what's always worked for him — and this Celtics core in general — suffocating defense.

When this team has been at its best, or overachieved, it's been when they've made life miserable for everyone else.

How many times did I cite their defensive record after their championship run? I’m guessing at least three times per week.

Which brings us to Jordan Walsh.

Walsh just completed his sophomore season. He played in 52 games for the Celtics, averaging 7.6 minutes per night — basically, he was a garbage collector. However, circumstances have a funny way of creating opportunities, and Tatum's injury just cracked open a door that's been locked for two years.

Walsh isn't flashy. He's not going to replace Tatum's 26.8 points per night. But if Mazzulla's building a defensive fortress, Walsh might be part of the brickwork.

His wingspan doesn't just stretch, it suffocates. He can guard multiple positions, chase down loose balls, and make shooters think twice about pulling the trigger with arguably the world’s best Stretch Armstrong impression (if you know, you know.)

Walsh is far from an apex predator. He’s no Randy Orton. However, like those at the top of the food chain, Walsh doesn’t get hunted. He’s that sort of skinny strong that catches you off guard. His footwork is part figure skater and part skateboarder — perfectly timed but firm enough to plant down in a millisecond.

Watch this clip.

Bumps don’t dislodge him. Directional changes don’t lose him. And shooting over him must be a nightmare. Walsh plays defense like chewing gum. He sticks to everything and makes you work like hell to get him off you.

“I think he's grown a lot,” Mazzulla said of Walsh during a December news conference. “One is defense. He's had some great physical defensive possessions. Having an understanding of NBA defense with different coverages and tendencies. His ability to be active and his offensive rebounding have been really good. I think he'll continue working on his shot, which I think has improved. The biggest thing for young guys is earning a defensive identity, but also the respect of the players around you. And he does that with his attitude and his work ethic.”

Summer League is just a few months away. Walsh, as a third-year player, could look to showcase his overall improvements in Las Vegas. But here's the thing… I keep flashing back to last summer, to one defensive possession that has stuck for the past 12 months.

It wasn't a block. It wasn't a steal. It was just... NBA-level defense.

You know what stood out to me? Walsh’s activity. He went from guarding the initial screener, to rotating over to tag the roller, to then switching back out to his original cover on the perimeter. He then stuck in front of his man as he tried to drive from the wing, using his body to dictate the driving angle, taking away the rim, and doing it all without fouling.

Chewing gum. Remember?

This wasn't accidental. This was a moment born out of studying film, understanding angles, and finding ways to blend his physical tools and basketball IQ. Summer League is supposed to be about raw talent and broken plays. Walsh gave us a glimpse of elite hoops, if only for a moment.

Walsh took that same defensive mindset into his second season with the Celtics. And while his minutes were scattered like breadcrumbs, there were flashes that had you telling yourself that he could be next in line to step off the Celtics’ growing conveyor belt of developmental talent turned NBA contributor.

Here's the thing… We all knew Walsh could lock people down. That was never the question. The question was whether he'd ever be more than a garbage time contributor, spoken of in hushed tones due to his potential that rarely materializes.

Walsh needed to answer some important questions if he’s going to earn a bigger role next season.

• Can he put the ball in the basket?

• Where are his buckets going to come from?

• What type of scorer is he now, and can he become?

It makes sense, then, that one of my favorite moments from his sophomore year was this rip-and-run action off a defensive rebound against the Toronto Raptors.

I don’t care that the shot didn’t fall. The end result is rarely the story. What I do care about is that Walsh had the confidence to turn the jets on and pressure the paint. He didn’t defer the rock. He didn’t look for a pull-up three in transition. He went right at the cup. A little more aggression and he would have dunked that right on top of Gradey Dick.

“Walsh's defense is solid, but that alone won't give him a larger role for the Celtics,” Nick Goss wrote for NBC Sports Boston on May 30. “They need scoring off the bench, and especially from the wing positions with Tatum potentially missing most or all of next season as he recovers from an Achilles injury.”

That one possession was straight out of the Russell Westbrook guide to transition basketball. Walsh is no Westbrook, though.

To get the best overview of Walsh’s offensive game, we should scrub away his garbage time production and look at his performance when the minutes actually mattered. That’s where Cleaning The Glass comes in, as it has a garbage time filter.

Walsh took 38 three-point shots by CTG’s count. He converted on 29% of them. Six of his makes came from his 21 corner three-point attempts. The other five came from elsewhere on the perimeter.

Every time a player looked to tee him up, you couldn't help thinking, “I pity the fool.” Walsh has to improve if he is going to stand a chance of eating some of the minutes that Tatum’s absence has now put up for grabs.

Fortunately, there are other ways to generate points. Walsh has shown some promise as a slashing forward, ripping off the catch to pressure the rim.

Freddie? Jason? No…Jordan.

Pre-season, post-season, or in-season, it doesn’t matter when this possession happens (it was indeed, pre-season), what matters is that there’s the exoskeleton of a blueprint. Walsh is sneaky athletic. His first step can leave defenders chasing shadows, while his change of pace is an unexpected wrinkle to his arsenal.

Walsh has a framework to build on.

Nobody is asking him to be a primary scorer. I don’t even want him to be a consistent scorer. He does, though, need to finish his meals when they’re served to him. Otherwise, what’s the point of sitting him at the table in the first place?

Walsh isn't going to save the Celtics' season. He’s not about to bust out a power morpher or run into a phone booth. Yet, in a summer where everything else feels like a question mark, maybe having one guy who can plug some minutes, knows the system, and has genuine upside is exactly what the team needs. I mean, don’t we all want someone we can get behind, regardless of how messy things get on the floor next year?

Stevens could still bring in another forward, either via a trade or free agency. But, no matter what happens, there might be a potential rotation player waiting in the wings.

Walsh has bided his time.

Now he has to stake his claim.