The Boston Celtics made a handful of changes in the offseason due to Jayson Tatum’s Achilles tendon injury. They are still expected to make some noise in the Eastern Conference, with one young player predicted to have a big role off the bench.
MassLive.com’s Brian Robb answered a few questions on his latest mailbag, including about which player among Jordan Walsh, Hugo Gonzalez and Baylor Scheierman will be part of the rotation. Robb picked Gonzalez because of his defense, as well as struggles for Scheierman during the Summer League and preseason.
“Scheierman showed potential at the end of last year, but his age (25) and inconsistent shotmaking stick out right now. If he’s not making shots, (something he struggled with in Summer League too) it’s tough to justify minutes for him right now given Gonzalez is already the better defender. Walsh and Scheierman obviously have the experience edge at this point, so I expect everyone to get their chances early in the year regardless, as Mazzulla holds a tight leash on the reserves in the rotation. Ultimately, I think it’s Gonzalez that ends up with the biggest role, even if Scheierman starts with more of one,” Robb wrote.
Gonzalez averaged just 5.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, 0.3 steals and 1.0 blocks in four preseason games. He’s only 19 years old, so he’s going to have consistency issues. Nevertheless, the potential is there, especially on defense.
Joe Mazzulla Likes Hugo Gonzalez’s Defense
Despite his limited production in the Boston Celtics’ final preseason game against the Toronto Raptors on October 15 due to foul trouble, Hugo Gonzalez impressed coach Joe Mazzulla with his effort on defense. Mazzulla praised his rookie after the game, particularly his instincts and energy on the side of the ball.
“I think that’s the biggest thing from his game that we’ve taken is his defensive instincts. Especially when he’s off the ball, he’s done a great job of just reading the game — his ability to rotate, deflections. So I’ve been very pleased with his defensive instincts, and he just has to continue to get better at those,” Mazzulla said, via Celtics Blog.
The Celtics’ starting five will likely feature Payton Pritchard, Derrick White, Sam Hauser, Jaylen Brown and Neemias Queta, as per ESPN. The team’s depth is no longer what it used to be, but his defensive tenacity could be enough for Gonzalez to earn rotational minutes.
Derrick White Impressed by Hugo Gonzalez
Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla is not the only one raving about Hugo Gonzalez. Derrick White had nothing but praise for the rookie after their final preseason game. White, who is known for his defense, liked how hard Gonzalez played and the energy he brought to the court.
“He plays so hard, so that’s always like a good first start. He just knows how to play, knows how to be in the right position, and competes at a high level. I’ve seen him just constantly working hard, constantly asking questions, constantly learning, and you could tell that he’s been a pro for a while, and he’s played basketball at a high level for some time now, and I think he’s done a lot of good things for us this preseason,” White told Harwood Houdini.
The Celtics make their regular season debut on October 22 at the TD Garden, welcoming the Philadelphia 76ers.
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