Celtics rookie Hugo Gonzalez in the start for Jaylen Brown, while being the primary defender on Giannis: 18 PTS 16 REB (5 OREB) 3 STL 2 BLK +27
18 PTS
16 REB
1 AST
3 STL
2 BLK
+27
https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401810735
Never seen a dude hustle his ass off on every possession for the “opportunity” to guard Giannis
He was reckless in a good way going after every board and every steal
And hes only 19
I think his birthday was a couple days ago actually!
Tatum graduated the 19 running joke. It’s Hugo’s turn now
Ah yes, carry on!
all good now ur caught up so we can annoyingly spam that joke for the next 10 years lol
No? We have two 19 year olds. Tatum and Hugo. And Tatum is turning 19 again tomorrow
The fact that joke is almost 10 years old is blowing me
Its a joke based on people saying tatum is only 19
Ya, he turned 20 a few days ago! He’s old now! 🍀🏀🏀🍀💚
“Easy” way to earn psycho joe points
He’s the buffalo’s apprentice
He is either literally #1 in the net league in net rating or close, so he actually is the impact gawd junior.Â
He’s learning from White but there’s a lot of Marcus Smart in him. White plays calculated and controlled, whereas Hugo has that Smart like ability to just fling his body to make a big play out of nowhere. Hugo can also guard way up in size like Smart.
I’m rock hard at 9am.
He’s the definition of “winning plays”.
He’s averaging 3.9⁄3.3⁄0.6 and shooting 31.8% from 3, but he’s 2nd in the league to only Alex Caruso in NET Rating for the season (min 20 games).
Compared to other rookies, his NET Rating is roughly double 2nd place, and he’s on pace to become the 3rd rookie ever to have a +/- above +5.0 (alongside Tim Duncan and Chet Holmgren).
He’ll eventually have to become a lot more consistent and aggressive on the offensive end, but it’s become a running joke for our commentators to talk about him subbing in, playing 15 minutes and finishing the game +25 while barely touching the stat sheet.
Sometimes that impact is really obvious and you’ll swear he was the most impactful player on the court despite going 1⁄3. Other times, the crazy +/- feels like dumb luck but it happens so consistently that it can’t be.
Tommy would have lost his shit the last couple of nights. Between Hugo and Neemis “Bill Russell” Queta
And he got better as the game got along! Immediately after Giannis burned him on two isos as well
He’s only 19
Heard they have another 19 year old coming back too
Yeah he’s pretty good too, I heard
He aint coming back to be a roleplayer.
Well this other 19 yr old is definitely a roleplayer
I didn’t know he was into LARPing
He just turned 20 last month. The NBA is going to know his name.
No, he’s only 19, you must be mistaken
His birthday is Feb 5.
Man, this joke is going way over your head
cut them some slack: they’re only 19
…and into a mountain, every time it is repeated?
Well aware. Don’t give two fucks about imaginary internet points.
Don’t know what internet points has to do with anything. Did you have a bad day today or are you normally this sour?
He’s only 19, he can be a little dramatic at that age
Brain isn’t fully developed.
If you were as cool as you implied you wouldn’t have bothered to correct a joke.
Aw shit here we go again
Unrelated but a beautiful song that your comment reminded me of: https://youtu.be/mGDhzVi1bqU?si=seAQYsbCLidloTIy
But his mind is older
I’m sorry does that shit say 16 rebounds?
including 5 offensive. had him playing the 3 and 4 tonight
He’s got magnet hands. Bro has the 2nd longest hands ever measured at the combine. 10 and a quarter, same size as Shaq.
really? wtf
*longest, not largest (which would also factor in width and span), and he’s tied with others.
Surely wemby or taco has the biggest hands ?
Tied with Wemby for the same length. Bunch of players tied at 10 and a quarter.
Great guess on Tacko though, he actually has the top spot.
Man it’s fucking brutal watching good franchises just constantly pull shit out of their ass like this.
Bill Simmons was talking about this team having a top 3 pick after a week lol
After those first three games I thought we were going to be close to 30 wins. We looked pretty ass, then they just figured it out and took off.
He’s gonna talk about this game from Hugo for at least 20 minutes on the next pod.
I’m fine with that.
Almost enough for him to forget about Kon
Yeah not gonna pretend that a sizable part of the fanbase (myself included) wasn’t gearing up for the tank after we started 0-3
We lost a couple of close games vs playoff teams, I didn’t really understand the meltdown
I mean he was also one of the rare people that said they would be good and picked the over, then after 0-3 changed his mind
I know what you’re saying, but it’s not pulling shit out of our asses. We are really competent top to bottom and hold everyone accountable
I mean yeah, that’s what I’m saying. You manage to be perpetually successful because of it and its painful to watch as a supporter of a franchise that never changes and constantly fucks things up.
Starts from the top tbh, Reinsdorf is not it
Yep
he flew under a ton of radars but he shouldn’t have. He was playing over seas against grown ass men on a good ass team and still showed promise.
that explains why the kings didn’t take him then
Ya when it’s been this consistent, when guys keep coming in and looking better than expected, it’s probably not dumb luck. No that we’re comparable, but seeing what we’ve done this season with supposed lottery-team level talent, it made me realize that you can find great players that no one else is looking at if your front office is ahead of the curve
Bro thinks he on the team
You’re a mavs fan so I’d feel bad about clapping back. It’s okay big dog I’m sure one day it’ll all work out
nope wouldnt say I am, actually lol
Could have fooled everyone in the thread with that flair then, buddy.
can’t fool myself tho unfortunately
He is and so aren’t I.
Bostons been through a lot they haven’t had a sports team compete for a championship in like 22 days so cut them some slack will ya
This is how I felt when the Warriors somehow turned the worst player in the NBA into their fucking third steph curry. Then he turned back into a regular guy and I was forced to admit the role a competent organization can have on player development and now I’m even more mad because they forced me to learn! That’s bullshit!
If it makes you feel better, the Warriors haven’t done the development thing very well at all in the last few years.
Poole is just an erratic shooter who got really good looks in GS.
Who?
Jordan Poole. Poole was the worst player in every advanced metric at that time.
Ohhh. I know it’s only been a few years since he won a ship there but I had forgotten entirely this morning he was ever a warrior
Boston will never forget Jordan Poole.
I mean he was playing on one of the best Euro teams as a kid, same as Luka. Amazing pedigree, excellent scouting reports. Just didn’t get much playing time (which is normal in that system).
That’s the kinda dude you grab late
Im more surprised he wasnt higher in the draft but im biased because spain
Well, he was the next shiny Real Madrid basketball product. At this point whenever a Real Madrid Basketball product is available in the second round of the draft, teams would be wise to take a flyer on them.Â
It’s amazing that after Boston got bounced in the first round in 2021 they’d somehow get the events that led to them having the best coach and FO in basketball
I remember how upset I was that Udoka couldn’t keep it in his pants. Crazy how things change
especially now that the rockets appear to be having a lot of the same stagnant offense issues that made us so frustrated during his time with the celtics. truly a blessing in disguise
And it seems like Joe was the Nick Nurse to Ime’s Dwane Casey.
Ime got all the recognition, but people around the team have suggested a lot of the defensive changes were actually Joe as the assistant coach.
One of the only assistants that had worked under both Brad and Ime too.
Once you know that Mazzulla was the coach who taped a ping pong paddle to Romeo Langford’s hand to try to fix his shot, you realize he’s always been a genius
I’m fucking losing it, imagine how scared Langford was when Joe started walking towards him holding a literal paddle.
He was probably halfway out of the building before Joe hit him with a judo throw.
Being forced to watch Tristan Thompson while Nets fans were flexing their impending finals appearance. Brad trading for Horford immediately after being hired showed we were in great hands
Breathing humans broke out the “Um maybe the Nets won the Pierce Garnett trade, they were a Finals team fasterrrrr” takes that year. A a result I have never been happier than when Boston went on to sweep them the next year. Good job nuking your team culture Marks
Considering how GS is playing, wonder if Horford is sorry he left Boston?
He said recently that his reasoning for leaving was “bigger than basketball”. We all assume it’s money, which is wild considering he’s closing in on 290 million earned so far. Love Al, but he’s left at the 1st sign of trouble twice now. It is what it is
he said deeper than basketball, so i wonder if it’s just a change thing. tatum out injured, porzingis and kornet moved on, few new guys in. maybe he felt like it was time to leave and let the new crew build their own world before he became the old man who was in the way.
he’ll do a year there, move somewhere else, then come back to boston nice and fresh to win a ring
Don’t give rocket fans hope with Ime.
All Ime has to do is have an affair with an employee in the rockets and you guys will find your franchise HC
And the first in line to replace Ime has to go to Utah. Only then will they find their ultimate HC
There was even a time that Mazulla’s coaching was getting criticized and doubted after he replaced Ime. These past few seasons must be a crazy ride as a Celtics fans.
Thats the only season you havent been a serious contenter since, idk 2016?
I mean they came into 2021-22 with the 13th best title odds and 6th best in the east. Like it’s crazy that Stevens went from being a good coach to the best executive in basketball and then the low level assistant they kept on becoming the HC by fluke circumstances and now he’s probably the best in the league too is just insane.
Have to credit Ainge’s eye for talent too. He’s the one that hired Stevens and Mazzulla (as an assistant).
Correct
Their FO is obviously really good, but I’d still have to say the Thunder have the best.
Last time I rooted for the Bucks too pretty much is the 2021 playoffs. Not counting future series against the Heat
Mazulla is great but he hasn’t cleared Spo yet
Huge
Huge-o
Huge One
Huge Gonzalez
Hugo if true
Huge-O if True-O
Why don’t all teams just have 15 solid players? What are they trying to gain?
Celtics 🤝 thunder
DO the Spurs enter as honorable mention? (They do have a legit 10 man rotation while 5 are just extra fill-in players)
Incredible. He was almost exclusively covering Giannis too, kid is going to be sore tomorrow! We’ll earned rest.
Hugo not being in the rising stars game is one of the more outrageous snubs we’ve taken in awards stuff lately
Not really. I know his impact and advanced stats are good but a guy averaging 4/3/1 on 15mpg not making it isn’t an “outrageous snub” compared to the players who got in over him
you gotta excuse us, we just high off the unexpected run this season.
Ron Harper Jr got in. Same team, even less stats. Not saying that he didn’t deserve it, but Hugo definitely also did.
Ron harper Jr got in representing g-league though, not rookie/sophomore
[deleted]
No, Ron Harper Jr got in because he played for team G-League. Ron Harper was averaging like 25 in the G and was one of the best performers that’s why he got to play.
Hugo hasn’t played in the G-league this year so he wasn’t eligible for the spot Harper Jr got.
Fair.
Of course, point stands though
He is breaking the all time rookie record in hustle. It’s outrageous.
Yeh the only rookie definitely not deserving is probably Carter Bryant (3 points, 2 rbs, 9 minutes a game) but I guess he got in because he’s still a lottery pick
Carter Bryant made it damn near last minute because Cedric Coward was a late scratch for the Rising stars game and Carter was already in Vegas for the dunk contest, so instead of calling up a player who was more than likely mid vacation to come travel to Vegas, they just picked the guy who was right there and ready to go
But also, I feel like I have to shed some light on Bryant. He’s been great, especially post all star break so he’s not just some scrub. He is in my opinion the best perimeter defender out of all the rookies and he’s currently leading all rookies in defensive field goal percentage.
So while Hugo did deserve the nod, it’s not too far fetched that Bryant got it instead, given the context.
If you’re gonna celebrate players and then celebrate them for contributing to their team and playing good basketball. This obsession with “but he’s only averaging this amount of points” is why the ASG is dead too.
His counting stats just weren’t good enough for something like the Rising Stars game, not a surprise at all he wasn’t picked. He’s starting to get some real recognition around the league though.
His +245 for the season is the best rookie counting stat of all time.
Ceiling on this kid is incredible. His defensive tenacity and energy is off the charts, and he’s got a nice presence around the hoop on offense. Shooting a work in progress but his shot looks solid enough to get there.
His cutting is elite. Seriously, the best on the team. Just has a knack for being at the right place at the right time.
The reason he’s such a +/- monster is in my opinion because of exactly this. He’s impactful on literally every possession he plays because he constantly has elite positioning on both ends at just barely 20 years old.
He’s never not moving, but he’s also never in the wrong place. It’s super fun to watch.
Drafting Spanish dudes is lowkey a cheat code. They start playing pro ball at like 15 over there. Despite being a rookie this is lowkey his 4th year as a professional. He’s basically a vet. They sky is the limit for him.
That’s all of Europe though, and there have been plenty of European busts in the NBA over the years.
Talent is simply talent, regardless of where it comes from.
He held his own against Giannis too. He got that dawg in him.
I think he’s past the point of having a dog in him, and now everyone else is just striving to have that Hugo in them.
Hugo Gonzalez is Giannis Antetokounmpo father
That’s just because the Celtics’ random white boys have a tradition of inexplicably turning into Larry Bird
Unless they’re named “Greg”. Those have yet to work out.
The disrespect to Celtics legend Greg Stiemsma.
Greg Kite, (the corpse of) Greg Monroe, Greg Minor.
I don’t think that some of those Greg’s are white boys
True. I’m saying it’s a poisoned well all the way down.
Our white boys got grit.
Hugo’s not White, he’s clear European
How did this guy fall to 28 in the draft?!?!
He was projected top 5 at one point but he ended up sitting on the bench behind a guy who won multiple league MVPs and stuff
Best current NBA player to come from Real Madrid
Europeans own this sport now
I, for one, welcome our European overlords.
Celtics got an international player and they’re not actually playable in year one lmao Brad Stevens is unstoppable
Monster gameÂ
Kid is a demon
16 what? Meanwhile, my starting PF just had 1 rebound yesterday
Kid’s like a wing version of D White
Lisan Al-Gaieb
Giannis and Miles Turner really just got beat by Celtics’s bench
Not just beat. Full on bitched.
Damn, HUGE GONAZLEZ
Nice shot Hugo
holy moly, what a crossover
Thats the mang0
Wanted this guy so bad in the draft, hornets were the very next pick smh
Dude this guy is INSANE
I, for one, would like to thank the 27 teams ahead of Boston for skipping Hugo.
The 2026 Celtics without Jaylen Brown and Neemias Queta has spanked a healthy Milwaukee Bucks.
OH YEAH!!!!!! Finally a real breakout game for MY FAVORITE PLAYER THIS YEAR Hugo González, he is TREMENDOUS and he’s just getting started!
Yeah, I’m jealous.
Actual Wemby statline from someone a foot shorter. One of the most underrated players in the league, his defense and effort have been instrumental in keeping the Celtics dominant without Tatum this season.
Brad is the EOTY or Joe is the COTY. One of them *has* to be true.
Gonzo!
Yes! Love Hugo.
If you like him and know Spanish he had a great interview here
kid just body-snatched giannis mid-game and printed his stats in green, celtics got a greek freak farm system now
Our matchups with the Celtics in the playoffs is going to be unpleasant.
Yeah I’m hoping we get a Pistons v Celtics & Cavs v Knicks semifinals, would be some fun basketball
brad stevens keeps on doing great at his role
Man fuck the celtics for always getting these dudes who pop off out of nowhere for them
damn, white boy going crazy
And he’s just a boyyyyyyy
Celtics development is amazing. Practically every guy becomes at worst a plug and play guy
Tatum and Brown are system players, confirmed
reminds me of mario hezonja in playstyle, but hugo in a much better situation as a rookie which making a huge difference
You guys aren’t ready to hear it but Hugo has as high of a ceiling as anyone in the draft. He could be Kawhi light.
Mazzulla coach of the year, Stevens executive of the year. I don’t see how either one of them could even be an argument
I really hope the Celtics and Lakers fall off for a good 5 decades
Lakers yes, not us tho
Nope. Yall are entitled enough.