The way Hugo Gonzalez burst onto the scene as a 19-year-old rookie was certainly noteworthy for the Celtics last season. His numbers didn’t exactly jump off the page, but it wasn’t hard to see the impact he made on both ends when he was on the court, and it was reflected in his ridiculous plus/minus stats.
He hit a bit of a rookie wall and was underused, somewhat disappointingly, in the playoffs as the Celtics wilted, but the expectations are sky-high for the young Spaniard as he enters his second year in the league.
Longtime Celtics reporter and current senior contributor for Heavy, Steve Bulpett, shared some thoughts on Hugo recently, explaining that he realized Gonzalez was different from just watching him in training camp and preseason last year. Bulpett praised his speed, but also the way he saw the floor.
Bulpett cites former Celtics champions as big fans of Hugo
He also talked about how he and many others were a bit surprised by how little Hugo played during the playoffs, as Boston blew a 3-1 lead to the Sixers, and added that he has high hopes for the coming season.
“It’ll be interesting to see how Gonzalez is used this season, what with Brown gone and Paul George’s playing time being managed. I can tell you that among those watching closely will be former Celtics – some of whom retired before Hugo was born; all of whom have championship jewelry – that have come to appreciate his game.”
This may not exactly be revelatory information, but Stevie B has been covering the NBA since 1985 and was a beat reporter for the Celtics for the first 35 years of his career. He has seen a thing or two in his days, has closely covered some of the greatest players of all time, and has experienced championship basketball at the highest level.
It’s safe to say his observations and opinions are worth more than those of the average person, and that’s especially true when those views are shared with Celtics legends and champions.
Gonzalez part of young core hoping for major breakouts
And this is hardly a hot take or an uncommon opinion, as most people who were paying close attention saw Hugo pass the eye test last season, quickly adjusting to the NBA. His name came up in the offseason, when reports came out that Gonzalez was one of the sticking points for Brad Stevens in a potential trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo, and that should tell you just how fond the organization is of Hugo as well.
Even with JB out of town, the Celtics have plenty of depth on the wing, and minutes are going to be hard to come by. Expectations are high, and the training wheels are off, but Hugo is still going to have to earn his playing time.
But there’s plenty of reason for optimism, and plenty of reason to expect that he will eventually earn those minutes and become a core young piece on a Celtics team that figures to compete for championships of its own for years to come.
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