Celtics rave about Hugo Gonzalez, who's quickly showing them what matters most

It is understood not to overreact to what happens at Summer League. It's common for a player to look better in that setting than when sharing the floor exclusively with NBA talent. The opposite is also true. It's a matter of applying the lessons from that experience and growing from when they left Las Vegas to the start of the regular season.

The latter applies to Hugo Gonzalez. The Boston Celtics' first-round pick in this year's draft is making a dramatic adjustment. Off the court, he's adapting to a new country. On it, he's going from a methodical style of play that centers around constant cutting to a NASCAR-like pace and a league where individuals don't hesitate to hoist attempts early in the shot clock.

Even when his acclimation process was in its infancy, at Summer League, the former Real Madrid wing showcased the ability to be a defensive pest, a high-revving motor, and how difficult it could be to dislodge him on screens. It highlighted traits that compelled the Celtics to take a home run swing on a 19-year-old prospect who averaged 11 minutes on a title team filled with former NBA players.

However, leaving Sin City, it looked -- at least to this author -- like Gonzalez might be spending time developing with the franchise's G League affiliate in Maine. That's a place that helped the likes of Sam Hauser and Luke Kornet hone their craft to carve out their place at basketball's highest level.

One can't walk away from four preseason games knowing that Gonzalez won't require some seasoning there, but he enters his first NBA campaign having made significant strides since last taking the floor at Summer League.

"He plays so hard, so that's always like a good first start," Derrick White told Hardwood Houdini after Gonzalez finished the preseason with his best performance of Boston's exhibition slate. "He just knows how to play, knows how to be in the right position, and competes at a high level. I've seen him just constantly working hard, constantly asking questions, constantly learning, and you could tell that he's been a pro for a while, and he's played basketball at a high level for some time now, and I think he's done a lot of good things for us this preseason."

As for what he seeks White's wisdom on, the veteran guard told Hardwood Houdini, "Just kind of figuring out the game. The NBA game is just so much different from the FIBA game, spacing-wise [and] rules-wise. So, just kind of figuring out those games. Figuring out what works here, what doesn't work here. And he's a quick learner. He's a big-time competitor. It's great to see him continue to make strides each and every game."

Hugo Gonzalez is quickly impressing the Celtics

The six-foot-six wing registered eight points on 3/6 shooting in Boston's 110-108 victory vs. the Toronto Raptors in Wednesday's preseason finale. After nearly letting a 12-point lead with 1:32 left slip away, Xavier Tillman Sr. swished a game-winning floater with 1.4 seconds left.

In the hosts' dramatic close to their exhibition contests, Gonzalez buried both threes he uncorked and left Sandro Mamukelashvili in his wake on a spin move, attacking out of the corner for two points at the rim.

What he showcased on the defensive end was even more impressive. On the ball, prime examples of his potential came when he stonewalled a Scottie Barnes drive and stayed attached to Ochai Agbaji as the latter charged downhill in transition. The Celtics' rookie then swatted his layup attempt.

Off the ball, he stood out even more. He paired his length, motor, and the ability to cover ground quickly with tremendous defensive instincts. He was constantly stunting to disrupt Toronto's offense. That led to turnovers and bogged down possessions. His ability to help the helper, rotating in time to take away an open option, also forced the Raptors to search elsewhere for an advantage.

"I think that's the biggest thing from his game that we've taken, is his defensive instincts, especially when he's off the ball," Joe Mazzulla told Hardwood Houdini post-game. "He does a great job of reading the game: his ability to rotate, deflections, all of that, so, [we've] been very pleased with his defensive instincts, and he just has to continue to get better at those."

What he's showing is the hunger to learn and the ability to apply those lessons quickly. The growth demonstrated by Gonzalez since Summer League creates an optimistic vision for how he might develop as his rookie season progresses. Beyond that, there's the thought of the impact a player driven by a burning desire not to look back on his career with regret could have as he goes from an NBA neophyte to an experienced veteran. Perhaps one helping the Celtics lift the Larry O'Brien Trophy once again.