Hugo Gonzalez has been tasked with guarding pretty much every position in the NBA for the Boston Celtics while still a 19-year-old rookie, and the Madrid native ended up with a nasty scratch in a recent practice while guarding some of his teammates in the frontcourt. Asked about what it was like to cover big men so soon into his career in the Association, Gonzalez made it clear that he needs to be ready to defend any player on the court at ant given moment.
“We’ve got to be ready to play,” explained the Celtics wing via CLNS Media. Talking about Boston’s roster flexibility, Gonzalez noted the Celtics play a lot of ways, which requires a more complex defensive approach as well. “We’re lucky that we’ve got a lot of players that can play multiple positions.” “
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“It’s (Boston head coach) Joe (Mazzulla), I think, who said the other day (it) is more that what position you play (being defined by) who is guarding you.”
Dec 15, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (0) drives on Boston Celtics guard Hugo Gonzalez (28) during the second quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images
“You’ve got to know everything,” he added. “You’ve got to know if you’re being defended by a guard, the one that we want to attack against, against the five, the big man. I mean, you just make a read off that.”
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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Why Hugo Gonzalez stays ready to guard one through five for the Celtics