Boston tabbed Hugo Gonzalez at No. 28 in the 2025 draft, a 19-year-old wing with Real Madrid roots and a maxed-out motor. His Summer League grind—10.8 points, 4.5 boards, 2.8 assists—showed a guard-for-breakthrough profile with defensive jam and floor presence. With Boston’s rotation thinned by injuries, the Celtics will test his ability to translate pro habits into winning plays, especially behind White and Pritchard. If he keeps denying easy shots and pushing pace, he could become a sneaky depth contributor in a playoff-ready mix.

Gonzalez’s path mirrors late-first-round patience: earn your stripes, adapt to a pro culture, and trust the process. Across the roster, Boston leverages intangibles and versatility, making him a prime candidate for development rather than immediate stardom. The club’s eye for underappreciated depth suggests Gonzalez might ride a thin line between rotation minutes and development time, rewarding those who show relentless energy and a readiness to compete at both ends.

Boston’s 2025-26 bench wings—Josh Minott, Jordan Walsh, Baylor Scheierman—enter with real minutes up for grabs after a summer of turnover. Scheierman provides playmaking and shooting upside, Walsh offers slashing finishing and versatility, and Minott brings defensive range and switchability. Hugo Gonzalez looms as a rookie wild card, while Brown and Hauser anchor the wings.

Lineup experiments will test Scheierman as a primary ball-handler with Hauser spacing, Walsh as a high-velocity cutter with defensive switches, and Minott as a defensively twitchy connector. The season hinges on which of the trio translates Summer League flashes into steady rotation roles and how Mazzulla balances defense with offense.

Jordan Walsh faces a make-or-break year for Boston as the Celtics seek wing depth and two-way impact. The podcast flags his development as crucial to earning real rotation minutes, while Baylor Scheierman’s versatility could push Boston’s bench to new spacing and defense. The discussion also highlights Jeff Twiss’s John Bunn Award as a sign of a culture built on growth and support ahead of a demanding season.

The hosts touch on Walsh’s path to steady shooting, defensive impact, and decision-making, alongside Scheierman’s potential to guard multiple positions and knock down timely shots. The overall tone is forward-looking: progress from Walsh, a wider wing toolbox for Scheierman, and a season shaped by competition and development within a championship-organized framework.

The Celtics are counting on Baylor Scheierman to take a bigger bite of the rotation next season. He flashed playmaking and scoring versatility late in 2024-25, but his Las Vegas Summer League shooting dipped, nudging the team to expect a developmental leap. In Boston’s retooling, Scheierman could be the spark plug off the bench—a multi-position creator who provides rebounding, defense, and a credible three-level scoring threat. If he can show growth with more minutes, his role becomes a key dial-b turn for the lineup.

On the How 'Bout Them Celtics? and Taylor Talks Celtics podcasts, the message is consistent: Scheierman’s development is pivotal. The Celtics will lean on him to stabilize offense in multiple lineups, especially when pace and spacing demand improvisation. If the jumper stays stubborn, Boston may pivot during the season or at the February 2026 trade window, testing other options while Scheierman proves his mettle in real NBA minutes.