New Boston Celtics big man Nikola Vucevic might be the most recent addition to his current ball club’s roster, but he has spent a good amount of time in the NBA since joining it in 2011. And the Montenegrin big man took some time to praise his rookie forward teammate Hugo Gonzalez after a career game earlier in the week vs. the Milwaukee Bucks.
“For a young guy, I think, to me, to be able to catch on to the assignments he gets so quickly and make very (few) mistakes is very impressive for a young guy,” explained Vucevic. “Especially in this league, it’s very hard to do so.”
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“The assignments they usually give him, he does it 100%,” added the Celtics center. “He’s really committed; he plays really hard on both ends of the floor.”
Feb 22, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt (2) moves to the basket against Boston Celtics center Nikola Vucevic (4) guard Hugo Gonzalez (28) and guard Jordan Walsh (27) during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
“(He does) a lot of things that don’t always show up on the stats sheet,” said Vooch. “But they mean a lot to the team.”
“Obviously he’s rebounding, we all saw it at Milwaukee, but just his effort plays, even sometimes when he doesn’t get the ball, he might tip it, somebody else might get it. His cutting has been huge. Just a guy that, for his first year, sticks to his role, does what he’s supposed to do, and I think that’s a great way to begin your career. And built on as you know he’s continued, I think it’s been great that he’s here on the winning team, trying to build good habits, learn from great players around him, and from really good coaching staff.”
“I think he has a very bright future and he has a right approach about it,” said the Boston big man.
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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: A very bright future: Nikola Vucevic on Celtics rookie Hugo Gonzalez