The Boston Celtics have rattled off two straight victories, with the most recent one being a dominant 134-99 win over the Chicago Bulls.
Payton Pritchard and Jayson Tatum led the way for the blowout, but second-year wing Hugo Gonzalez made a strong impression. Against the Bulls, Hugo had his best game of the season so far, registering 13 points (4-for-6 from the field, 1-for-3 from three, and 4-for-6 from the free-throw line), while adding five rebounds, two assists, and one block in his 24 minutes.
This was easily the best game of the season for Gonzalez, who, before the win against the Bulls, hadn't seen the court much. He played 10 minutes against the Detroit Pistons in the season opener and played just four minutes against the New York Knicks.
During the preseason, Hugo played well and looked ready to make an impact for the Celtics this season. While he didn't get off to the best start, he did make a great pitch for a consistent role going forward.
Hugo Gonzalez makes great pitch for consistent role with Celtics
In the win against the Bulls, the Spanish native showed just why he should be playing consistent minutes for the Celtics.
Having him on the floor adds a guard who'll be active defensively when guarding the ball and being a help defender. His activity will help lead to forcing the other team into turnovers and fast-break chances for Boston.
Gonzalez is also a capable rebounder, especially when it comes to crashing the offensive glass (his first points of the game and season last night came off getting an offensive rebound). The energy that he plays with helps create more scoring opportunities for Boston whenever he's on the court.
Hugo Gonzalez can also provide value on offense for Celtics
Going forward, the biggest question mark for Gonzalez will be whether his scoring can be passable. Not every night will he get into double digits, but he still has to be a threat to score when out there. Otherwise, other teams won't have to worry about him much when he's on the court.
The game against the Bulls perfectly showed what a good Hugo night on offense looks like. If he has an open three, take it with confidence. Should the defense close out, drive it inside and look for either a layup or a drop-down to a big at the basket.
A key area for the 20-year-old offensively as well is playing in transition. Hugo looked good running in transition against the Bulls, converting an and-one in the first quarter.
Boston has its first back-to-back of the season tonight, hosting the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday, October 27. This is the first of the season for the Celtics, who'll have 16 back-to-back games all season. Tonight is another perfect opportunity for Gonzalez to build off his strong game and look to cement a consistent spot in the Celtics' rotation.
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