Hugo Gonzalez could justify Brad Stevens' controversial offseason

Even if there is a legitimate rationale for the decisions Brad Stevens has made for the Boston Celtics this offseason, there's no doubt that his decision-making has been a bit divisive. He failed to acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo, then traded Jaylen Brown to a division rival.

There's a strong chance George can be much better than many expect, even in his mid-30s, just like there's a strong chance Boston was right to steer clear of Giannis with all the questions about his health. However, what may prove Stevens right more than anything is the development of Celtics youngster Hugo Gonzalez.

The stats won't back him up, but anyone who watched the game film could see how impressive Gonzalez's rookie season was. Not only did he have an aggressive approach you don't typically see in rookies his age, but he also showed a pretty high basketball IQ on both sides of the floor.

There's good reason to be optimistic about Gonzalez going forward, but CLNS Media's Noa Dalzell revealed from her talks with scouts that they believe a Gonzalez leap is coming.

There's no telling if it will come right away, but Gonzalez taking a big leap forward in the next year or so would justify Stevens' decisions this offseason.

Gonzalez's progress changes the equation

Stevens refused to part ways with Gonzalez when he tried to get in on the Greek Freak sweepstakes, which many questioned after Miami won the chase. The odds of Gonzalez being on the same level as peak Antetokounmpo are laughably low, but that's not the question when we look back on what happened there.

The question is whether Gonzalez himself, with this Celtics team, is good enough to bring them another title. He played a part in Boston's survival without Tatum, and now he'll be tasked with helping the Celtics not only be good enough without Brown but also take another step forward.

If Boston remains a title contender over the next several years in part because of Gonzalez's ceiling as a player, that justifies not paying what Milwaukee wanted for Giannis while also justifying trading Brown away.

With all of that out there, it is a little ambiguous to figure out what kind of player Gonzalez will be if and when he hits full throttle. He's definitely not the same player Brown or Tatum is, but he has the makings of someone who changes so much on the court with his presence.

For the time being, the best outlook for him long-term may be a Jrue Holiday or Al Horford type. Not exactly the superstar type, so to speak, but the kind of player a contender wants when they're serious about a title.

Yes, that's high, but not to the point where it's completely absurd. If the scouts believe in his greatness, then there's good reason to be optimistic.

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