Hugo Gonzalez is putting together the kind of preseason stretch that makes you lean forward a little.
No, he’s not Larry Bird. No, he’s not Ray Allen.
And no one is seriously betting on him becoming one of the Celtics’ all-time great shooters. But through three preseason games, Gonzalez has been red-hot from deep, knocking down 8 of 13 attempts for 61.5%.
That kind of number is impossible to ignore, even with the obvious preseason caveat. These games are still coming against mostly legitimate NBA talent, and the early results are at least worth tracking.
Is it sustainable? Is it going to show up once the games count?
Highly, highly, highly, highly unlikely. Still, it’s a pretty striking thing to watch.
The bigger picture is what makes this interesting. Gonzalez was never known as a shooter before getting to the league, hitting just 27.1% from three on 1.1 attempts per game across three seasons with Real Madrid.
As a rookie, he was better, but only in a limited sample, shooting 36.2% while taking just 1.6 threes a night. Even in Summer League this year, the shot wasn’t falling, as he connected on 25.9% of his 9 attempts per game.
That weakness has been the biggest question hanging over his NBA game. And yet the rest of the package is already appealing. The 20-year-old is a strong defender, he plays with a relentless motor, he has high basketball IQ, he’s useful off the ball, and he has a real feel for the game.
There’s plenty here for Boston to work with. Gonzalez has already flashed real promise, including that 18-point, 16-rebound double-double against the Milwaukee Bucks in one of his three starts last season. He’s young, he’s productive in ways that help winning, and he still has room to grow.
If the outside shot becomes real, even in a modest way, it changes everything. It would make him a much more dangerous player and a cleaner fit in Boston’s perimeter-heavy offense. Right now, at least in preseason, he looks like a player taking a meaningful step in that direction.
And with the Celtics moving forward after trading Jaylen Brown away, there’s going to be a lot asked of the rest of the roster. Jayson Tatum is now the clear-cut No. 1 option.
Paul George is the new sidekick. Derrick White remains one of the most important players on both ends.
Payton Pritchard could end up as a full-time starter to bring more shot creation. But the supporting cast has to carry its share too.
That puts the spotlight on players like Baylor Scheierman and Sam Hauser, and it also makes Gonzalez a legitimate breakout name to watch. Boston clearly values him and wants to keep building him up, and a larger role feels like it should be coming. He has earned that chance.
Even if it’s only preseason, he’s giving the Celtics exactly the kind of reason to believe they needed.
In Other News...
Payton Pritchard May Be Headed For A Very Different Celtics Role
Payton Pritchard is already drawing a different kind of attention around the league, and it points toward a much larger role in Bostons next chapter. NBA.com recently surveyed general managers, and the Celtics guard was among the players identified as a breakout candidate for 2026-27. With Jaylen Brown no longer in the mix, the path opens for Pritchard to do more than just provide steady bench production, especially if Boston wants more scoring and creation from the backcourt.
The early signs of that transition have been encouraging. Pritchard has shown he can handle more than spot-up duty, and his preseason work against the Charlotte Hornets offered a look at a playmaking load the Celtics may need to lean on more often. Sharing the floor with Jayson Tatum, he gave Boston a glimpse of a facilitator who can help organize the offense, which makes the coming season feel like a possible bridge to something even bigger. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics May Have Found A Rotation Wrinkle Teams Wont Love
A preseason look against the Hornets offered a small but interesting glimpse into how Joe Mazzulla might keep opponents guessing this fall. Boston has built its identity around spacing, movement and perimeter skill, so any move toward a bigger look stands out, especially when it comes with two traditional centers on the floor at the same time. The Celtics are still sorting through lineup combinations as they head toward the regular season, and this was one of the more notable wrinkles to surface.
Neemias Queta and Mitchell Robinson shared the court in a way Boston does not usually deploy its front line, but the pairing gave the Celtics a different kind of presence inside. The team used the look in a stretch that worked well enough to keep in the back pocket, and that is the real intrigue here: not whether it becomes a staple, but whether it gives Mazzulla another situational answer when matchups call for something less conventional. [Read more 🡒]
Payton Pritchard's New Celtics Deal Is Already Sparking One Debate
Payton Pritchards new deal gives the Celtics some clarity in the backcourt, but it also comes with a familiar Boston front-office conversation about value. The guard signed a two-year extension worth $44 million after posting career-high averages last season, and he is slated to play a significant role when the Celtics get back to work. For a team that has spent plenty of time sorting out its long-term financial picture, locking in a young rotation piece was always going to draw more than one reaction.
Payton Pritchards stock has risen enough that not everyone around the league sees the extension as the cleanest possible win for Boston. Some front office personnel have mixed feelings about the price tag and believe there may have been room for a better negotiated outcome, including the possibility of a trade kicker. The debate is less about whether Pritchard belongs in the Celtics plans and more about whether the team moved quickly to secure him before the market could have pushed the deal in a different direction. [Read more 🡒]