The Boston Celtics’ small-ball lineups have value. They add additional speed, offensive versatility, and unpredictability to the floor. But with no bigs on the court, Boston had to find screening elsewhere. Against the Detroit Pistons, Hugo Gonzalez stepped into that role very subtly.
He wasn’t setting a screen every possession, and he obviously can’t replace what Neemias Queta brings to the table as a screener, but he did his job. Gonzalez found ways to create space for ball-handlers with off-ball cutting and impressive timing. It was the sort of under-the-radar skill that could help him provide value to different looks Joe Mazzulla wants to throw onto the court.
For all the defensive talent Gonzalez has to offer, he’s getting more and more comfortable contributing on the offensive end, too.
Hugo Gonzalez gave the Celtics great screening
In one instance, Gonzalez set a screen for Jaylen Brown to drive toward the left side of the floor. Since the Pistons were sending extra help at Brown all night, Isaiah Stewart stepped up to help on Brown’s drive.
However, rather than actually screening for Brown, Gonzalez slipped toward the basket before making contact with Jaden Ivey. This left him a clear path to the rim. Brown found him on the roll, and he finished around Cade Cunningham’s late attempt at offering rim protection.
Gonzalez and the Celtics preyed on Stewart’s desire to double for most of the minutes he had to guard their small-ball lineup.
A couple of possessions prior, Gonzalez dumped a pass to Payton Pritchard before setting him a screen. Stewart stepped up to double, but Gonzalez popped back out to the three-point line. This forced Javonte Green to shade over, so Pritchard couldn’t dump the ball back to him for an open look.
Baylor Scheierman took that opportunity to cut to the basket, which drew the attention of Cade Cunningham, who was supposed to be guarding Jaylen Brown.
Pritchard immediately passed the ball out to Brown on the perimeter, he pump-faked a reeling Green, and found open space for a mid-range pull-up.
Then, just a couple of minutes later, Gonzalez went to run a dribble-hand-off with Pritchard, but Green blew it up. Pritchard doubled back to his right, drove to the rim, and got fouled.
For the few minutes that Boston played without a center in the second quarter, Gonzalez found a way to maximize his offensive abilities.
And perhaps it could be a way for Mazzulla to get him on the court more often moving forward.