Hugo Gonzalez sees the big picture when it comes to the Celtics and playoff success

Why didn't Hugo Gonzalez play more in the Celtics' first-round series against the Sixers?

That's a valid criticism that fans have been vocal about since Boston squandered a 3-1 lead for the first time in franchise history. The rookie wing from Madrid averaged just 4.7 minutes across four postseason appearances. Unfortunately, his first taste of the playoffs barely even qualifies as an hors d'oeuvres.

Yet Gonzalez always put the work in and stayed ready for when opportunities came his way.

"That is just something that you do. Coach is going to put whoever needs [to be] on the floor at any moment, and you can be thrown out in whatever situation," Gonzalez told Hardwood Houdini before Game 5 against the 76ers. "So you've got to be ready. And it's not only for you, it's also for the team. Whenever they need you, you've got to be ready, and you've got to respect the work that they do, too."

It was an answer that captured the 20-year-old rookie's maturity. He had already learned how to navigate situations like this. With Real Madrid, he teamed with a cast mostly comprised of former NBA players. That meant inconsistent floor time that he had to capitalize on.

So when the Celtics called his number in Game 7, Gonzalez was ready.

With Boston's season on the line, he leaped off the bench and played nearly the entire second frame. He only took one shot and did not score. However, he was one of the most impactful players on the floor. The defensive menace hounded Tyrese Maxey.

Philadelphia's franchise floor general only attempted one shot against him, recovering from a near-turnover to make a contested mid-range fadeaway while under siege from a smothering defender.

There was also the offensive foul he drew while fighting over a screen from Paul George. He held up to Joel Embiid in the low post. And he provided a needed spark, a jolt of energy and disruptiveness.

Gonzalez finished the quarter with a +7 plus-minus rating. The hosts outscored the Sixers 31-23. They didn't exceed 25 in any other period. It was easily Boston's best frame of this winner-take-all matchup.

Unfortunately, the six-foot-six wing logged just 2:39 more. Again, the rookie was scoreless but disruptive. That includes using that short shift to showcase his impact on the offensive glass. A shove from Paul George couldn't stand in the way of Gonzalez tapping the ball to Derrick White, eventually leading to a Jaylen Brown 3, as the Celtics walked down an 18-point deficit.

Brad Stevens's perspective on Hugo Gonzalez's playoff minutes.

As the rookie wing illustrated during Game 7, he was another worthwhile option Boston could have turned to guard Maxey and VJ Edgecombe in its first-round rivalry clash. His impact on the offensive glass could have helped boost a core part of the Celtics' identity that took a significant hit when their second-chance points dried up in three straight losses that sent them on summer vacation.

However, even when he wasn't playing, he was sharpening his craft, finding ways to get better.

"It's also a great opportunity to work on other things that you usually won't. When you're in the season, you try to emphasize your role, and whenever you're playing less, you can try to hit that curveball," conveyed Gonzalez. "So, I just think it's a great time of the year to try to keep staying ready, but also improving some things that you usually don't do."

And while he arrived with a championship pedigree, his first playoff experience in the NBA showed him how precious each possession is and that the price for any mistake is more costly in the postseason.

"Any mistake is more penalized," Gonzalez told Hardwood Houdini while discussing what he learned going through the NBA playoffs for the first time. "I think that one or two mistakes in a game that are like, really gross, can get you out of the game, and one game lost, whenever you didn't have to, can get you out of the series. So, you can get eliminated. I think that just having a mistake at the wrong time or the wrong moment can get you out."

As he mostly learned that lesson through observation, and some became more vocal in wanting him on the floor, Brad Stevens probably didn't need his background as a coach to respect Joe Mazzulla's right to do what he believed was in the team's best interest.

"Our job as a front office is, 'Here's the team.' The role questions and when people play, and how many people play, right? That's what a coach has to do, and it's really hard when, again, there's not clear separation," said the organization's president of basketball operations at his end-of-season press conference.

There was also the reality that the Celtics stuck with Sam Hauser's shot-making, leaving Gonzalez to fight for minutes with fellow younger wings like Baylor Scheierman and Jordan Walsh.

"He didn't separate himself from those other guys. And so, as a front-office person, I can't sit here and say that one person should have been playing over another," voiced Stevens from the podium at the Auerbach Center. "There wasn't enough separation. I knew Jaylen should be playing. I knew Derrick should be playing, and Payton should be playing. But at the end of the day, that's part of a team. I'm encouraged by all of them, but there wasn't a lot of separation."

Still, Stevens is bullish on Gonzalez's future

The rookie from Madrid arrived with questions about how quickly he could adapt to the NBA's dramatically different playing style compared to the ACB. He quickly and resoundingly answered that.

After not playing opening night against the 76ers, Gonzalez was making life difficult for Jalen Brunson. He started in Boston's next contest, applying a full-court press to Cade Cunningham.

From there, the six-foot-six wing continued to grow. Gonzalez found success while his team experimented with him as a small-ball five. He showcased his defensive versatility, including holding his own against centers like Embiid and Karl-Anthony Towns down low. He brought a savviness as a cutter, a skill cultivated with Real Madrid. He's a reliable finisher at the rim. And as another one of the Celtics' agents of chaos, he could wreak havoc on the offensive glass to extend possessions.

Gonzalez brought a lot to the table. He proved he belongs on a playoff stage. And while he demonstrated the impact he can have at this point in his development as a shooter, he knocked down 36.2 percent of the 1.6 threes he hoisted. That's the skill that will determine his ceiling. His floor is already high.

"The reality is, Hugo had a great rookie year, and is, I think, a critical part of us moving forward because his athleticism can meet the moment in the big games. That's a real thing. You can see it. You know it," said Stevens. "His strength is off the charts. He's probably the strongest -- he's one of the strongest guys on our team right now, pound-for-pound, as a 20-year-old. So, he's got a bright future." 

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