With the mud now settled, Hugo Gonzalez would possibly simply be the massive winner of Boston’s preseason.
The twenty eighth total decide from this yr’s draft is in a crowded place group coming into his rookie season, however alongside Josh Minott, his four-game preseason pattern was largely a optimistic one.
Gonzalez’s protection, rebounding and pure athleticism could make his spot within the rotation an inevitability moderately than a query mark.
”He performs so arduous, in order that’s all the time a superb first begin,” Derrick White mentioned. “He simply is aware of easy methods to play, is aware of easy methods to be in the appropriate place, and competes at a excessive degree.
“I’ve seen him simply continuously working arduous, continuously asking questions, continuously studying and you possibly can inform that he’s been a professional for some time, and he’s performed basketball at a excessive degree for a while now, and I feel he’s performed numerous good issues for us this preseason.”
Bookended by 8-point efforts in opposition to Memphis and Toronto, Hugo logged 65 minutes over 4 video games, offering us a big sufficient pattern of what he can present when enjoying alongside Boston’s extra established rotation gamers.
It was somewhat little bit of all the pieces in these minutes. Highlights like his steal-and-score in opposition to Memphis or his spinzone layup within the second Toronto sport will make the headlines, however these 65 minutes provided a normal smorgasbord of glass-crashing, chopping and defensive exercise that may finally issue into how a lot Joe Mazzulla and this teaching workers trusts him out of the gate.
It’s arduous to not discover how mature Gonzalez seems as a defender. The power and exercise is that of an eager-to-prove-himself teen, however he’s displayed a shocking degree of spatial consciousness and maturity to meld together with his all-out play type.
”I feel that’s the largest factor from his sport that we’ve taken is his defensive instincts, particularly when he’s off the ball,” Mazzulla mentioned. “He has a terrific job simply studying the sport, his means to rotate deflections. Been very happy together with his defensive instincts. He simply has to proceed to get higher at these.”
This clip from the primary quarter of their ultimate preseason sport illustrates his instincts and ground consciousness on an prolonged possession. After Toronto grabs the offensive rebound, Boston now has two on the ball, and has to scramble to recuperate. You possibly can actively comply with Hugo’s eyes as he will get a way of the place he must be earlier than he takes place close to the nail. It places him in a great spot to defend Ochai Agbaji, and it leads to a blocked shot (although Toronto nonetheless finally scores on the possession).
The prior defensive possession showcases his means to diagnose and adapt. He will get hit by the Sandro Mamukelashvili display on the prime of the important thing, and as he fights over to comply with Scottie Barnes, he sees Xavier Tillman take the change, re-routes to the roll man and as a substitute sees the Spain pick-and-roll because it’s occurring, placing himself on Agbaji as Barnes no-looks a go out of bounds for a turnover.
Together with high quality protection throughout 4 video games, he’s additionally extraordinarily lively within the rebounding division. It’s protected to say Mazzulla is on the lookout for 5 guys that may rebound, and Gonzalez has made an effort to crash the glass on practically each possession he’s on the market for. Contemplating his very first basket in Summer season League was a putback, it’s not fully shocking to see this growth.
Even when he isn’t essentially getting the rebound himself, we’re seeing performs the place his battle helps the ball find yourself within the arms of a inexperienced jersey. Depend it as a rebound for another person, however that’s a group board.
The large query for Hugo actually facilities round how he impacts the sport on offense. We all know he can prolong possessions together with his rebounding, we all know he’s a putback menace, and we all know he is a brilliant cutter that fills open area, however is he a cushty open shooter or a assured slasher? From what we’ve seen thus far, he doesn’t draw back from taking pictures alternatives, and that’s a really optimistic factor for a rookie, no matter if the pictures fall at a constant clip.
Except for a late shot clock step-back within the nook, and a transition motion three in opposition to Toronto, the overwhelming majority of Hugo’s 3-point makes an attempt had been stationary and off-the-catch, and the method was fast, the shape constant, and the outcomes probably sustainable.
He was 3-for-8 on 3-point makes an attempt, taking pictures two a sport. If he’s in that satisfactory 35% vary on 1-2 makes an attempt a sport, that’s one thing you may really feel comfy with once you consider what else he brings to the desk.
The way in which he creates off the dribble remains to be a piece in progress, however his spin transfer and a tough crossover are a part of the bundle as a play-finisher. This clip in opposition to Cleveland additionally looks like a optimistic signal of open ground creation. The acceleration as he switches the ball from left to proper and goes into his collect is spectacular sufficient, however the kickout to complete it off is a superbly positioned go into the nook to create a reasonably good look.
After Jordan Walsh was sidelined for 2 video games with an adductor harm and Baylor Scheierman struggled as a scorer, Hugo Gonzalez seized a possibility and made fairly an impression in his first crack at NBA minutes. The potential for larger issues is obvious, however the 19-year-old Spaniard could also be part of Boston’s present rotation sooner moderately than later.
