Hugo Gonzalez and Amari Williams both shined in the Boston Celtics’ Summer League 83-80 win over the Toronto Raptors. The two second-year Celtics led the way as Boston mounted a second-half comeback to steal their opener.
It was a clear step up from where they were a year ago -- not to say that being better than they were before even playing in an NBA game is some monumental achievement. Gonzalez and Williams had to play at a high level for Boston to even have a shot on Friday.
The former did it without having an efficient shooting night, either. Gonzalez sank just three of his 16 attempts from the floor, yet might’ve still been Boston’s best player. His ability to lock in and impact the game in other ways nearly netted him a triple-double.
"I just felt comfortable with the ball, I've just gotta make shots,” he shared postgame. “I was horrific today. I need to improve my shot selection, maybe from 3, probably. And then, try to be stronger finishing. I think today's one of the worst days that I've shot in my life, and still we got the win, that is the important thing."
That ability comes from the Celtics’ player-development process. Summer League head coach Amile Jefferson explained that Boston adds an element of competition to their day-to-day drills so that players have to move on from the agony of defeat and focus on the next task.
“It's in his player development plan,” Jefferson explained to reporters Friday night. “It's in his workout every day. It's throwing bodies at him. It's throwing coaches at him. It's putting him in uncomfortable situations. It's during his workouts making everything live. So win or lose, like you can go through a workout in a Celtics practice and lose every drill."
The Celtics' player development strategy paid dividends for Hugo
Gonzalez found himself effectively in the middle of a developmental drill at Cox Pavillion.
He played just over 1,000 minutes in his first year with the Cs, averaging 3.9 points and 3.3 rebounds per game while shooting 47.6% from the field and 36.2% from deep. For a guy who carried such a small burden, he still typically made his impact felt when he got the chance.
Gonzalez quickly established himself a defensive menace and a player who would never leave his effort and commitment to winning be called into question.
Despite the majority (if not the entirety) of those rookie minutes coming in a low-usage off-ball role, the 20-year-old was tasked with spearheading offense for the summer Celtics. The ball was in his hands. He had to create for his teammates in what should have been an uncomfortable situation.
Yet, his assist-to-turnover ratio was nearly three-to-one, as Gonzalez dished eight assists with only three turnovers. That added comfort is something that Boston’s coaching staff hopes will become normal for last year’s 28th overall pick.
“I think ball handling and shooting,” Jefferson said of the areas of focus for Gonzalez this offseason. “He works with Tyler Lashbrook, and he's done an amazing job at just showing him different reads, being able to make different reads on the ball and off the ball."
Gonzalez’s sophomore summer debut and Williams’ double-double are the latest example Celtics’ developmental success stories. The second-year big showcased far more than most would've expected after a season where he spent the majority of his time in the G-League. Nonetheless, Williams tallied 23 points, 13 rebounds, and a pair of blocks against Toronto.
Not only were the numbers impressive, but the timeliness of his impact stood out. Williams secured the key offensive rebound the led to the eventual game-tying three from Chris Cenac Jr. at the end of regulation. He sank some key attempts in the paint as Boston stormed back into the game, too.
The two young players join a long line of rotation guys who the staff has helped grown into their roles. Jordan Walsh, Baylor Scheierman, Neemias Queta, and Ron Harper Jr. are all beneficiaries of the player-development team’s care factor.
The reps are important, but the discomfort is what works magic in Boston. It's why they continue to seemingly find diamond's in the rough. They're consistent. They work with a consistent attention to detail. The staff genuinely cares about making these guys better.
“They're hearing from somebody every single day," Jefferson shared. "They're seeing a clip or film. They're being shown something every day. And in that kind of environment, where we're also making them uncomfortable, it's really hard for you not to grow. So we put them in a lot of uncomfortable situations, and I think that's awesome for their development, but our staff is incredible, and the care factor I think is the biggest thing.”
There's plenty of Summer League left to play. Gonzalez and Williams have another three games (plus a possible playoff run) to showcase what they've learned over the past year and how much the coaching staff has helped them grow. They'll have an entire offseason to continue that growth and potentially step into larger roles with the Celtics this season.
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