Celtics share what they took away from Hugo Gonzalez’s milestone afternoon

Detroit – On Sunday afternoon at Little Caesars Arena, Hugo Gonzalez became the third player in Boston Celtics history to start a game before turning 20. according to the X account @Celtics_Stats. The organization’s first-round pick in this year’s NBA Draft joins Al Jefferson and Jayson Tatum on the shortlist for a storied franchise.

The rookie immediately made his presence known as a member of the first unit. Gonzalez came from behind to block the uber-athletic Ausar Thompson on the Detroit Pistons’ first possession. The next time on the floor, when Jalen Duren tried to leave the ball for Duncan Robinson, the Madrid native fought over the screen and got to the ball first. Less than half an hour after his first career start, he had already registered a rejection and a theft.

He was responsible for four of Boston’s first nine forced turnovers, including an offensive foul on Duren. Additionally, Gonzalez picked up Cade Cunningham full court, and he was difficult to dislodge on screens. Even when Detroit did, he quickly rebounded, negating any potential numbers advantage.

“I thought he brought a lot of energy defensively, against great guards, and he provides a spark for us,” Payton Pritchard told Forbes after Gonzalez’s first start. “He’s been great.”

Together with Pritchard, the rookie’s motor and mentality are quickly making a positive impression on the 2024 NBA Finals MVP.

“I love Hugo. I love Hugo’s mentality,” Jaylen Brown told Forbes after the game. “I like how he’s coming out; he’s ready to go. He knows his role. And he can play. So we need more of that. He’ll continue to learn as he gets better, as he grows, but that’s what we need.”

Hugo Gonzalez changes the equation

NBA offenses are based on creating a numbers advantage. The easiest way to do this is with a pick-and-roll. That can lead to five-on-four, four-on-three play. It can create scenarios where the defense has to choose its poison. For example, making the low man choose between tagging the big one as he rolls to the basket or shutting down a shooter in the corner. It’s the surest way to consistently get quality footage.

What Gonzalez showed at Real Madrid, with the Sin City Celtics at the Summer League and now at the start of his NBA career, is that he will fight with everything he has to prevent that advantage every time.

He defends with a combination of aggression, power and long strides that allow him to cover ground quickly. It’s a pleasure to watch a ball hawk who is assertive on defense.

From pressuring Jalen Brunson full-court in Friday’s loss to the New York Knicks to drafting Cade Cunningham as his opening assignment against the Pistons, Gonzalez is quickly gaining Joe Mazzulla’s trust against the opposition’s best perimeter player.

“At the end of the day, we just have to continue to build that defensive mentality,” Mazzulla told Forbes after the Celtics’ 119-113 loss at Little Caesars Arena. “Give us what we need defensively. So he did a great job tonight.

“He can get through screens, and he can give D. White, Payton and Jaylen a little break on the on-ball stuff there and let him do that. So it was good that he was able to do that. He’ll continue to develop that mentality.”

As he does so, the 19-year-old has quickly risen from not playing on opening night to starting two tilts later. He has done this while adapting to a dramatically different style of play than the ACB, one that operates at a much faster pace. You wouldn’t know the significant extent of that adjustment based on how well he acclimatizes.

To see the impact Gonzalez is already having, he speaks to a quick learner, with a burning desire to maximize his talents, and an engine that runs non-stop. There’s no telling how much his game will grow this season. However, that storyline has identified itself as one of the most intriguing for Boston this year.

And as Jayson Tatum watched and saw that combination from the Celtics’ bench, he witnessed a new teammate who, after all the offseason departures, could help the franchise get back to the NBA’s top ranks when the star forward returns to the lineup.