Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

 Granted, the Celtics Hugo Gonzalez is not positioned high in the Rookie of the Year rankings , but he is looking like a steal as the 28th-overall pick in this year's draft. And he is only logging 14.8 minuted per game thus far. The kid has shown that he is savvy, skilled, patient and fiery - on both offense and defense. Great job by Bras Stevens grabbing "The Spaniard" towards the end of the first round. Here is another qualified opinion of Hugo Gonzalez ( per NY Times Sam Vencenie ): "The last player I want to highlight briefly is Hugo Gonzalez, whose infectious energy has helped the Boston Celtics off the bench in a big way. Few players bring the motor and hustle that Gonzalez does every time he takes the court. He’s a live wire of loose ball dives and activity, using his nose for the ball to make an impact. The Celtics are beating their opponents by a preposterous 20.1 points per 100 possessions in the 354 minutes that he’s played, undeniably a noisy stat influ...

 We already knew rookie Hugo Gonzalez - alias "The Spaniard" - needed to develop his outside shot. He was only 4-of-12 from the field and 1-of-5 from the charity stripe in Boston's win over the Grizzlies. But he did hit 3-of-5 from beyond the arc . But he is a newcomer to watch. He never stops moving - whether on offense or defense . A matador, he is not. He may have given Celtics fans a brief return to the days of John Havlicek . Great to see that movement.  And the kid is versatile . He ended the game with four rebounds, five assists, one steal and two blocks . Hugo is only 19 years old , and a newcomer to American basketball. He has a lot of growth ahead of him, and I am excited to watch him develop over the next few seasons. Looks like another (at least minor) coup by the figuratively-handcuffed Brad Stevens . Forced to trade two valued starters to save money, Hugo Gonzalez could end up a prize with the 28th pick in the draft.

  Don't expect miracles from the Celtics newly-acquired Hugo Gonzalez , who I refer to as "The Spaniard" . He is only 19 and played limited minutes in his pro career overseas. But at 6'6" and 205 pound s, the frame seems NBA-ready, and Brad Stevens used the terms "tough", "hard playing" and "winning basketball player" in describing the youngster. The suggestion right now is that the Celtics may hang onto him. The other Spaniard, played by Russell Crowe in the Movie, Gladiator, was told to "Win the Crowd" . The Boston crowd can be tough, but they love toughness, hard-playing and a winning mindset in their players.  The 28th-overall picks in the NBA rarely get to the "star" level, and this kid has a some work to do . But with his work ethic and some court time, he could become a fan favorite . Hopefully - down the road - if fans are asked, "Are you not entertained" (by Hugo's play), they will a...

 In the NBA draft last night, the Celtics Brad Stevens chose 6'6', 205-lb. Hugo Gonzalez from Spain. Your first question may be, Why the Spaniard? "Competitiveness"   appears to be the main answer. Here is what Brad Stevens had to say about "The Spaniard": “He’s obviously been on everybody’s radar for a long time. … Just a big fan of how he plays. He’s tough, he’s hard-playing, he cuts, he goes after the ball, he competes. He’s got all the intangibles of a winning basketball player. “There’s things he can get better at just like everybody else at that age, but competitiveness is at a high level.” In Spain, Hugo has played with several former NBA players , and as such, has learned how to play the NBA style. Is this 19-year-old ready for the big time? He may be, but it seems like some seasoning will be needed before he gets any significant time on the parquet.