It has been a bumpy start for Boston. With a talent drain and a reconstructed roster, it is naturally taking time for players to fall into their roles. They may be in the right chapter, but they’re not all on the same page.
Still, even amid the early growing pains, flashes of promise are starting to break through.
Despite the uneven play, the Celtics have found something worth getting excited about: their two young wings, Josh Minott and Hugo Gonzalez, look the part.
Minott is coming off his first career start, helping to lift the Celtics over the Pelicans. He finished the game as team-high +42, with 15 points, nine rebounds, and two stocks. From the opening tip-off, his impact was felt.
Minott is springy and gives the Celtics a jolt of athleticism any time he steps on the floor. The starting lineup may continue to be a revolving door, but he felt like a natural inclusion.
While not the burliest, Minott brings skills that support the team’s best players. He doesn’t need the ball, but he’s effective when it swings his way, and has a knack for finding it. Minott’s offensive rebounding and defensive playmaking are a boost for Boston in the possession battle.
For a team that has struggled on the defensive glass, the numbers indicate Minott has made a difference there as well. In 135 minutes with him on the bench, the Celtics have a 60% defensive rebound percentage on missed 3’s. That jumps up by 17% with Minott on the court.
Hugo Gonzalez has been similarly impressive as a complementary piece.
Through four games, Gonzalez has alternated between DNPs and drawing the primary assignment on Jalen Brunson and Cade Cunningham. While Mazzulla and his staff try not to overload the rookie, he’s practically asking to be thrown into the fire.
Boston didn’t have much going for them against the Knicks, but Gonzalez’s motor and defensive potential shined. For the 12th youngest player in the league, he handled his first NBA game — in the bright lights of MSG — like a seasoned veteran.
He had a pair of drives to the rim punctuated with lefty finishes, and his point-of-attack defense took the Knicks by surprise.
Like most rookies, Gonzalez has room to grow, but his foundation is solid and his conditioning is exceptional. That should allow him to focus on skill development rather than catching up to NBA speed and physicality.
As a pair, Minott and Gonzalez are already influencing the way Boston plays. Their energy, defensive pressure, and willingness to attack the rim are starting to shape rotations and push teammates to match their pace. This impact hints at how they could define the team’s style if given time to develop.
The two wings personify an identity that Boston wants to build — playing fast, pressing, and forcing turnovers.
While an NBA-wide trend is occurring, the Celtics have especially increased their frequency in applying full-court pressure. Minott and Gonzalez have both been leaders in that department.
They’re making ballhandlers work harder just to set up their offense, and over the course of a game that can really wear a team down. The two wings haven’t overlapped often, but there’s opportunity to send them out together to cause havoc, and that’s enticing.
The sticking point is that currently, neither is adept from behind the arc. Minott has knocked down a three in the last two games, and Gonzalez isn’t shy to launch one either, but you’re sacrificing spacing when none of the center options are true shooting threats.
Even still, that defensive combination is probably worth testing out.
Finding two young, athletic, and cost-controlled wings is a dream scenario. For this season, the development of Minott and Gonzalez should be the team’s top priority. They have encouraging skill sets and possess a competitive spirit that shows their desire to improve. Giving them enough leeway to make mistakes and learn from them could be exactly what the organization needs to find success in a transitional year.
If Boston can nurture Minott and Gonzalez while the rest of the roster finds its rhythm, these two wings could help define the team’s identity for years to come.
