There was a mixed bag of reactions when the Boston Celtics took Spanish forward Hugo Gonzalez with the 28th pick last year (he didn't play much at Real Madrid and had low counting stats, but he was also good enough to play for Real Madrid at almost 17 years old and showed fantastic defensive skills). But now that his rookie season is officially in the books, it's safe to say that Boston is happy with its selection.
And that especially includes team president Brad Stevens, who expects the 20-year-old to be a big part of the Celtics moving forward.
“Hugo had a great rookie year and is a critical part of us moving forward. His athleticism can meet the moment in the big games. That’s a real thing," Stevens said about Gonzalez during a media appearance on May 6.
Hugo Gonzalez can be a long-time asset to the Celtics
There's a lot to like about Gonzalez. He plays with an incredible amount of energy, hustles on every play, already looks like he could be a defensive monster at the NBA level, and he is developing into a more well-rounded offensive player with an improving jumpshot.
Earlier in the year, I remember saying that Gonzalez was the perfect Joe Mazzulla player. He played hard and contributed to winning basketball, but he also had at least one or two plays a game where you almost grimaced at the screen and felt like he needed to wear some sort of helmet moving forward, particularly this play. (If that doesn't perfectly encapsulate a Joe Mazzulla player, I'm not sure what would.)
The thing is, though, Gonzalez should only improve from here on out. He's the youngest player on the team by almost two years, and he gradually looked more comfortable and confident as his rookie season progressed. There is no telling what his ceiling looks like, and at this rate, he should be a legitimate contributor to come.
Hugo Gonzalez is just one part of Boston's bright future
The Celtics are in an interesting spot because, while Gonzalez is a fantastic player with a bright future, he's not the only one on the team who can be considered as such-- he's not even the only one at his position.
In addition to the Spanish native, Boston also has intriguing wings in Jordan Walsh, Ron Harper Jr., and Baylor Scheierman (I would've said "young wings," but Harper and Scheierman are both 26 years old. You can't be considered young by NBA standards if you were old enough to remember watching Spider-Man 3 in theaters).
All of those players shone at one point or another last season, and they all look like they have what it takes to help them compete next year and onward. And, despite how their season ended, the Celtics should feel excited about what the future holds, especially because of Gonzalez and co.
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