The Boston Celtics have been one of the best teams in basketball this year, and Hugo Gonzalez is a big reason why.
Gonzalez has flourished in his rookie season for the Celtics, outperforming most preseason forecasts. He's earned regular minutes and a steady role with his tenacious defense and rebounding, emerging as a valuable bench player and one of the league's more impactful rookies.
In short, he's been pretty good for a 20-year-old kid from Madrid who was drafted towards the end of the first round.
On Tuesday, NBA analyst John Hollinger broke down Gonzalez's campaign along with his strengths and weaknesses in an article for The Athletic (subscription required).
Hollinger started by praising Gonzalez's defense and motor.
"The biggest thing that stands out about “You-Go” is his defense and energy. At 6-foot-6 with a solid frame and good lateral quickness, he’s usually been able to hold his own against just about anybody. The numbers back up the eye test; he has solid rates of blocks and steals and has drawn 17 offensive fouls in his 916 minutes," Hollinger writes.
Hollinger also credits Gonzalez for his ability on the glass, which has helped him average 8.1 rebounds per 36 minutes.
"Although a wing, González also profiles much bigger on the glass, where his 12.2 percent rebound rate would put him in solid company with most fours. The eye test says he bounds off the floor, flies in from the corners on offense and chases the ball out of its zone on either hand, so this looks real," Hollinger adds.
However, Hollinger remains concerned about Gonzalez's offense, which still needs some work.
"The worrying part is everything else. González has an iffy outside shot and struggles to make the right read at NBA speed. He also, at this point, has a very limited handle. Those things conspire to limit his offensive impact, especially in the half court where he is mostly asked to chill in the corner,"Hollinger points out. "He has only a 12.0 percent usage rate — maybe not so bad with the talent around him — and although he can score on cuts and putbacks, he doesn’t draw fouls."
Fortunately, the Celtics have more than enough offensive firepower already, so they don't need much from Gonzalez on that front. He still has plenty of time to work on his shooting and improve his offensive skills, although his struggles there may limit his overall upside to someone like a Marcus Smart or Tony Allen.
Luckily for him, Gonzalez is in good hands with Boston's coaching staff.
"Given that he just turned 20 in February and already is a plus rebounder and defender, the Celtics won’t need González to show that much offensive progress to end up with a positive return on a late first-round pick," Hollinger concludes. "With Brown and Tatum dominating possessions, a defensive bulldog who can play off-ball has obvious long-term fit potential. And given Boston’s player development successes over the past two years, it’s probably about the best place González could be to maximize whatever offensive skill he has."
More NBA: How Good Does Jayson Tatum Need To Be For Celtics To Win Championship?