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Depsite the low expectations this season without Jayson Tatum, the Boston Celtics have seen strong performances from their rookie and others.
After Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles tendon in the playoffs, the initial expectation was that this season was going to be a throw-away year for the Boston Celtics. However, two months into the season, that has not been the case.
Along with the evolution in bigger roles for Jaylen Brown and Derrick White, the Celtics have seen very strong performances out of their supporting cast, players who did not have big expectations when the season began. Though there are a few that stand out, rookie Hugo Gonzalez is one notable addition, who, most recently, etched himself in Boston basketball history.
In the Celtics’ latest win over the Toronto Raptors, Gonzalez finished with 10 points, 10 rebounds, two steals, and one block on a career-high +37 in 28 minutes, becoming the second-youngest player in franchise history to record a double-double, and only the second, along with Tatum, to hit the marker at younger than 20 years old.
Celtics under 20 who’ve recorded a double-double:
Hugo Gonzalez
Jayson Tatum
That’s it.
On the season, the rookie Gonzalez is averaging just 4.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 0.5 assists on 52.6% shooting, but as seen in the win over the Raptors, has impacted winning at a higher clip than many expected, dubbed a ‘hidden gem‘ in the 2025 NBA Draft by Brian Robb of MassLive.com.
Hugo Gonzalez Celtics ‘Hidden Gem’
Selected 28th overall by the Celtics this summer, the advanced numbers for Gonzalez through the first two months of the season have been staggering. Along with becoming only the second player younger than 20 to record a double-double for Boston, Gonzalez also has a team-high +19.9 net rating when on the court, with the team outscoring opponents by 111 points in that same span.
Additionally, Gonzalez has taken on a massive defensive responsibility for the Celtics, guarding potential or former All-Stars in roughly 50% of the time he’s in games, generating steals in 3% of plays run while he’s been in, while winning the franchise’s prestigious ‘Tommy Award‘ twice so far this season.
“Playing time is earned not given under Joe Mazzulla but rookie Gonzalez has basically demanded more time given the way his play has inspired some of Boston’s best basketball over the past month,” Chris Forsberg wrote on the Celtics’ rookie.
It’s hard to say he was expected to be a top-performing rookie heading into the season, and while his current averages won’t land him on the end-of-season All-Rookie list, his impact on the team’s unforeseen success is clear.
“[He’s] finding the balance of knowing how to be super aggressive versus defending without fouling so we can keep you on the floor,” Mazzulla added on Gonzalez after their recent win. “The second half, he was great. The last few games he’s been great for us. He’s going to continue to get better and better.”
Another Celtics’ New Addition Making a Leap
Besides the leaps taken by Brown and White, Gonzalez isn’t the only new addition for Boston that has come in and elevated the team, which now sits third in the Eastern Conference standings at 17-11.
Neemias Queta came in with the massive role of replacing Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis, and Luke Kornet as the team’s leading big man. Despite on a near-minimum deal, the seven-footer has both outperformed expectations, as well as his contract, as he was named on a recent list by ESPN highlighting the ‘NBA All-Value Team‘ so far this year.
“Queta has started 26 games and has tallied double-digit rebounds in eight games, including 18 rebounds with 19 points last month against the Timberwolves,” Bobby Marks wrote. “Boston is plus-14.1 points per 100 possessions with Queta on the court, 8.0 points better than with Porzingis at center last season. Porzingis is making over $30 million this season with the Hawks, and Queta’s salary ranks last among all starting centers.”
Queta is putting up 10.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.3 blocks per game on 66.5% shooting, all of which are career-highs. He signed a new deal with Boston in the summer of 2024, but as of now, he is outperforming his contract, much to the team’s delight.
Along with Gonzalez and Queta, Bailey Scheierman, Jordan Walsh, and the already established Payton Pritchard have taken on the biggest roles of their careers this season, each contributing to the team’s unexpected success in their own right, despite Tatum’s long-term absence.
Eli Gregorski is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy Sports. He has years of sports writing experience covering the NBA, NFL, college football and basketball, international soccer, and Formula One. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder, where he was the assistant sports editor for the award-winning CU Independent student publication. More about Eli Gregorski
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