Hugo Gonzalez Is Earning His Minutes - and Then Some - in Boston
There’s a reason Hugo Gonzalez hasn’t left the floor much lately. And it’s not just because the Celtics are short-handed or trying to develop a rookie. It’s because he’s earning it - with energy, effort, and the kind of hustle that turns close games into comfortable wins.
In back-to-back victories over the Miami Heat and Toronto Raptors, the 19-year-old rookie became a fixture down the stretch. Head coach Joe Mazzulla subbed him in midway through the third quarter of both games - and never took him out.
No Jaylen Brown (out with illness in the second game), no late-game Derrick White or Payton Pritchard takeover. It was Gonzalez, the youngest player on the roster, closing both contests.
And he didn’t just survive those minutes - he thrived.
Against Miami, Gonzalez logged a career-high 29 minutes and finished a +22 in the box score. The next night in Toronto?
He played 28 minutes and posted a staggering +37. His two-handed driving dunk with just over three minutes left was the exclamation point, sealing the win and vaulting the Celtics back into third place in the East.
That dunk also capped Gonzalez’s first NBA double-double: 10 points, 10 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block, and - maybe most impressively - zero turnovers. The night before, he had 10 points, 8 boards, and similar defensive stats.
It’s not flashy. It’s not going to dominate highlight reels.
But it’s winning basketball.
And that’s exactly why Mazzulla, who’s known for being cautious with young players, is trusting him in real, meaningful minutes.
Two months into his NBA career, Gonzalez already looks like one of the biggest steals of the 2025 Draft. Taken 28th overall, he entered Monday leading all NBA rookies in total plus-minus at +111 - ahead of top-three picks like VJ Edgecombe (+94) and Dylan Harper (+80).
That’s not a fluke. That’s impact.
So what’s behind the early success?
Start with the motor. Gonzalez plays like every possession is his last - diving for loose balls, crashing the glass, cutting hard, and defending like a man possessed.
But it’s not just effort. There’s a maturity to his game that’s rare for a teenager, and it comes from his time with Real Madrid, one of Europe’s premier basketball programs.
He didn’t play heavy minutes there, but he practiced and traveled with veterans like Mario Hezonja, Serge Ibaka, Guerschon Yabusele, and Rudy Fernandez - all former NBA players who know what it takes.
“He’s been playing high-level basketball for such a long time,” Celtics center Neemias Queta said. “He understands tendencies, he understands how to make winning plays, understands how to play in a system.”
Queta, who has connections at Real Madrid, said he heard glowing reviews about Gonzalez’s intensity even before the Celtics drafted him. But seeing it up close has been a different experience.
“It’s amazing to see it live in person,” Queta added.
Gonzalez wasted no time showing he belonged. In just the second game of the season, he played 22 minutes and spent a good chunk of that guarding Knicks All-Star Jalen Brunson.
A week later, he made a handful of game-swinging hustle plays in a win over the Sixers - including a full-court chasedown block to deny Quentin Grimes at the rim. That play, according to Queta, was “the epitome of how Hugo plays.”
It’s not just about defense, either. Gonzalez has shown flashes of offensive versatility, too.
He’s been used as a small-ball five in certain lineups - a role that requires toughness, awareness, and the ability to switch defensively. Mazzulla has leaned into that, especially in recent games, using Gonzalez in creative ways alongside other young wings like Josh Minott and Jordan Walsh.
Of course, the rookie ride isn’t all smooth. Gonzalez has had his moments - including a rough stretch against the Pistons where back-to-back mistakes got him benched. And on Saturday, he picked up three fouls in the first half, showing he’s still learning how to toe the line between aggressive and reckless.
But that’s part of the process. What matters is that the growth is outpacing the growing pains.
“He’s got a great knack for the ball defensively,” Mazzulla said after the Toronto win. “And he’s learning how to play versus different matchups and coverages on the offensive end.
The second half, he was great, and the last few games, he’s been great for us. So he’s just got to continue to get better and better.”
At just 19 years old - and still two months away from his 20th birthday - Gonzalez is already carving out a role in a championship-contending rotation. He’s not just filling in. He’s changing games.
And if he keeps this up, he won’t just be one of the Celtics’ best-kept secrets - he’ll be one of the league’s.