Hugo Gonzalez may become an X-Factor for the Celtics in Year 2

Hugo Gonzalez had a whirlwind of a rookie season for the Boston Celtics. He went from the upstart youngster who showed from the jump to being put in the doghouse not too long after Jayson Tatum's return to reminding everyone of his talent in the do-or-die Game 7 that sent Boston home.

Gonzalez has more or less kept the good times coming in Summer League. He hasn't lit up the box score consistently, but that's only because his shot's been off. Besides that, everything has looked demonstrably better from the Celtics sophomore.

Gonzalez has shown the Celtics that he should have a bigger role this coming season. Following the Jaylen Brown trade, he just might get it. The Celtics may have acquired Paul George, who could turn out to be a better acquisition than we think, but at his age, Boston will probably try to conserve him as much as they can, which means relying more on their wing depth.

And that's where Gonzalez may become an X-Factor for next season.

Gonzalez may start when Boston rests Paul George

It's definitely possible that George has more left in the tank than we all realize, but it's also possible Boston will put him on the Al Horford plan, where they conserve him as much as possible to make sure he's spry for the playoffs.

Because that strategy worked with Horford, the Celtics have every reason to do the same with George. When they do, Gonzalez just might get that nod. Gonzalez isn't the most efficient shooter (yet), but in practically every other area, his energy truly makes a difference. In fact, what fans should be looking forward to is seeing if he and Tatum thrive as a pairing.

Gonzalez's impact on Summer League may not show up much on the stat sheet, but advanced stats show how much of a difference he makes when he's on the floor.

Boston is going to be all about energy on defense and rebounding to put next to Tatum. Gonzalez not only brings that but also appears to have an improved handle and playmaking, as demonstrated by his current Summer League outing. For the record, Gonzalez's Summer League outing last year was not nearly as notable as it is now.

Gonzalez had already played well enough that many were already looking forward to seeing what he will look like in Year 2. It wasn't like Boston counted entirely on him, but when down Tatum, he did his part to fill in. Now, he'll likely be challenged with replacing what Brown brought. If he can build off Summer League, Gonzalez may prove to be more of a necessity than a luxury his sophomore year.

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