Overview
- Boston plans to use the 22-year-old wing on Tyrese Maxey as Game 1 begins Sunday in the first round.
- Walsh held Maxey to 1-for-10 shooting across two regular-season meetings, according to NBA tracking data.
- Joel Embiid will miss at least Game 1 after an emergency appendectomy, which makes Maxey the focal scorer and heightens Walsh’s role.
- Walsh’s minutes swung from a 20-game starting run in November–December to a bench role before he finished the year at 17.8 minutes over 68 games.
- Coaches and veterans prepped him through film and trust, with Joe Mazzulla assigning Maxey early this season and telling Walsh his career was back alive.