Does Jordan Walsh have hair loss condition? Reason for his baldness explored
Jordan Walsh entered the collegiate ranks as a five-star recruit and will now be heading to the Boston Celtics after being selected with the 38th pick in the NBA draft.
Fans may notice that Walsh, 19, has a completely shaved head despite his young age. Unfortunately, the forward has Alopecia, a condition that causes the immune system to mistakenly attack hair follicles. According to Dan Treacy of Sporting News, Walsh has previously discussed the issue.
"Walsh says he has dealt with alopecia from a young age. While videos from his high school career show him with patches of hair, he currently does not have hair," Treacy wrote. "Walsh has been open about trying to erase the stigma surrounding being bald."
As such, it would appear that Walsh has decided to remove his hair so as to not deal with the patches that often occur with Alopecia.
What type of player is Jordan Walsh
Jordan Walsh is a 6-foot-7 forward with a 7-foot-2 wingspan. He is known for being a highly-intelligent player who thrives on the court's defensive end. One of the Arkansas products' best attributes as a defender is his screen navigation, making him a difficult person to shake when he's hounding the opponent for the ball.
Walsh played in 36 games for Arkansas last season, averaging 7.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 0.9 assists while shooting 43.3% from the field and 27.8% from deep.
As a second-round pick, the Boston Celtics will likely extend Walsh a two-way contract and allow him to continue his development with the Maine Celtics. However, both Brad Stevens and Joe Mazzulla value a strong defensive presence, which could allow Walsh to become a deep bench rotation player for the Celtics.
In terms of offense, Walsh is an aggressive driver who likes to pressure the rim and get his work done in the lane. Yet, according to Sports Illustrated's Bobby Krivitsky, there is a chance the rookie forward develops a perimeter shot in the coming years.
"With Walsh's work ethic, a shooting coach could help him develop into a reliable kick-out option," Krivitisy wrote. "That would figure to make him a valuable role player. But even if there isn't much improvement from beyond the arc in his future, he has the savvy and the effort to make an impact with his facilitating and as a cutter."
Given how the Celtics have been short of wing players behind Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, Walsh could find himself playing a backup role next season. However, Boston is in contention mode, and usually, that doesn't afford a young rookie many playing opportunities. Hence, the more likely option is that Celtics fans will rarely see their new draft pick in action - at least in the NBA.