Boston Celtics small forward Jordan Walsh struggled to make an impact in the opening weeks of the season.

The 2023 second-round pick played less than five minutes in his first three games this year. He didn’t even appear in four of the Celtics’ opening eight matches of the campaign and tallied just 24 minutes. And still, most of those minutes came when games were long settled.

But after a game against the Washington Wizards on Nov. 5, where the forward logged seven points and seven rebounds, Walsh has played 15 or more minutes in all but one game since that moment.

He continued his strong form for the Celtics on Friday night, this time putting up 17 points and four rebounds in the team’s 126-105 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. The previous night, Walsh posted a season-high 22 points in a 146-101 win against the Wizards.

His performance on Friday caught the eye of Lakers shooting guard Austin Reaves.

“He just plays hard as crap every single possession,” Reaves said after the game in which he put up 36 points. “He doesn’t take a possession off. His ability, his length, his athleticism, he’s physically gifted, [he] moves really well. I can see him being one of the best defenders in the league for many years to come.”

Despite the recent praise, guard Jaylen Brown wants Walsh — and the media — to stay focused and not hype him too much.

“I don’t want to boost his head up too much,” Brown said. “I don’t want him to start getting cute. You gotta still take care of the details. But he’s been doing a good job.”

The Celtics move to fifth place in the Eastern Conference following four straight wins. They travel to Canada on Sunday to face the Toronto Raptors.