Celtics Rookie Hugo González Inspires Hilarious X Post From Bill Simmons
Simmons loves Hugo, but who doesn't?
Boston Celtics 19-year-old rookie Hugo González has arrived. González showed plenty of flashes of talent early in the season, but his recent string of games — which has featured multiple double-doubles — has announced beyond a reasonable doubt that Hugo belongs on this stage.
Hugo’s play has garnered praise from teammates, fans, and analysts alike. Stan Van Gundy admitted early on in the NBA season that he was “falling in love” with González. Celtics center Neemias Queta recently praised the rookie.
The Ringer’s Bill Simmons has also been high on González, but Simmons’ recent Hugo post to X was especially notable, not to mention hilarious.
Simmons posted a joke mock re-draft, in which he said he’d select González with the No. 1 overall pick, followed by Hugo again with the No. 6 pick.
González’s contributions as a rookie actually come close to making Simmons’ post seem completely serious. Although guys like Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, and VJ Edgecombe are head-and-shoulders above Hugo in terms of the Rookie of the Year race, a lot of that comes down to minutes and usage.
Knueppel has already become a first-option-type scorer for the Hornets, and he’s starting every game. Same goes for Flagg. While Hugo isn’t that type of scorer or player, his impact on winning is still immense. There’s a reason that González has the best total plus/minus number among NBA rookies right now, and it’s not just because the Celtics are a better club than the Hornets and Mavs of the world.
González has been good for the Celtics even when the team is struggling. A big example of this came on Monday night when Hugo led a Boston bench mob comeback against the Indiana Pacers. After Joe Mazzulla benched Boston’s starters in the second half, González led the charge, and the Celts ended up coming back from 20 down to win the game.
The future is blindingly bright for Hugo, and the Celtics obviously made a stellar decision to draft the Spaniard out of Real Madrid. Credit to Brad Stevens .
