Celtics absolutely need to play Derrick White & Hugo Gonzalez together more

The Boston Celtics have effectively communicated this summer that they are betting on process and fit over talent with the moves they've made. Talent-wise, there's nothing they can do to effectively replace Jaylen Brown, but as an analytics-driven team, one way they can compensate is by playing Hugo Gonzalez and Derrick White as much as possible.

The X account Stat Defender noted that White and Gonzalez shared the best net rating among two-man lineups (padded) who played 500 or more minutes during the 2025-26 season, sharing a net rating of plus-17.3. Per NBA.com, the unpadded net rating is plus-27.1

There's a lot of overlap between White and Gonzalez, as both are high-energy defensive playmakers whose impact is felt all over the floor. On the offensive side of the ball, they are smart enough to do what they do best without overstepping their bounds.

If you take a look at this defensive highlight video of Gonzalez, you'll notice that White is on the court with him pretty often when he forces turnovers.

With Brown gone, Boston will turn towards their depth to help replace him. Paul George may not be the player he used to be, but he could be a perfect fit for what Boston wants, and even then, he won't be enough. The knock on Gonzalez, strangely enough, was that he didn't play enough in his rookie year. With Brown gone and Boston likely to conserve George, Gonzalez's role should increase in Year 2.

And what better way to increase his impact on the team than pairing him with someone who works phenomenally with him like White clearly does? This wasn't a small sample size by any means. They played 522 minutes together in which Boston went scorched earth when they shared the floor.

If they improve from three-point land, wowsers

For as good as White and Gonzalez are both individually and together, they are also coming off seasons with not the best three-point percentages. White shot 32.7% from distance (his worst percentage over an entire season as a Celtic) while Gonzalez shot 36.2%. White was highly disappointing while Gonzalez was just fine.

If both prove their three-balls to be a threat next season, it's hard to think that net rating between the two of them doesn't get even better. This season, they still be paired with Jayson Tatum, an excellent playmaker who should be able to find them in their spots.

Mazzulla ball isn't just dependent on threes, but when they are falling, it is downright impossible to stop it. If White can return to form, and Gonzalez improves, it doesn't just make those two deadly together, but also makes the Celtics even deadlier as a unit.

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