While you might not realize it from a quick glance at the box scores, rookie Boston Celtics forward Hugo Gonzalez had a better game against the Toronto Raptors than he did vs. the Memphis Grizzlies in preseason play so far. The Madrid native put up just 2 points, 5 rebounds, and an assist vs. the Raps compared to his 8 points, 3 boards, an assist, a steal, and 2 blocks vs. Memphis, but fewer turnovers and less mistakes hinted that Gonzalez might be ready for a role playing with Boston this season.
And his team took note as well. Noting that he did everything that was asked of him in the game against the Grizzlies, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla emphasized his job now is to “understand our offensive system— shoot the ball when he’s open, drive the ball when he’s not, make the right play, be able to execute the effort plays, whether it’s transition defense, offensive rebounds, pressure the ball, just all those little things.”
“He’s continuing to get better at that,” added Mazzulla via the CLNS Media Boston Sports Network. “All that stuff matters.”
New Boston big man Chris Boucher also took note of how his new teammate was adapting to the league with the Celtics. “Hugo wants to win,” he explained. He wants to be a good player. He plays really well. I think the one thing that differentiates him from everything is the speed.”
“He’s able to be a sponge, (he) wants to learn, and he knows how to play. Obviously, he played overseas and all different types of basketball, but it also shows the skills and all. So when he comes on the NBA floor, you can see all these things coming out, and he plays really hard, so you’re always going to get something out of that.”
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