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By Anne Erickson
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The Boston Celtics might have accidentally found another reason for optimism.
For a team that's constantly searching for the next piece, Hugo Gonzalez is quickly turning a question mark into something that looks a lot more interesting.
There was plenty of noise around Boston's decision-making, including the idea that the Celtics could have missed out on a bigger opportunity by holding onto Gonzalez instead of using him as part of a larger move. That idea feels a little different now. The young player isn't just looking like a prospect anymore. He's starting to look like a player who could really become part of the Celtics' next chapter.
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Gonzalez had a strong rookie season, and the numbers back it up. His 11.2 plus/minus led all 2025 rookies who played in at least half of the season's games, which says plenty about the impact he made even when he wasn't always filling up the box score.
Now, he's showing that the production can follow.
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In his best of three Las Vegas Summer League appearances so far, the 6-foot-6 player put together a little bit of everything. Gonzalez finished with 24 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and knocked down three 3-pointers in Boston's 82-76 win over Sacramento. It was the kind of performance that makes you stop scrolling for a minute.
The biggest thing with Gonzalez is that he plays like a guy who understands the NBA completely. He's not out there trying to prove he's the next superstar on every possession. He defends, makes the right pass and lets the game come to him. Those are the habits that usually earn trust from coaches.
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He's averaging 18 points, eight rebounds and six assists in Summer League, and it's becoming harder to imagine him staying in a small role for long.
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