12 hours ago
Five things to know about Celtics first-round draft pick Hugo González
González got his start early with Real Madrid
González was identified as a top prospect at a very young age, joining the Real Madrid youth system when he was just 9 years old.
He debuted professionally for the senior Madrid team at age 16 in October 2022, becoming the fourth youngest player in the team's history.
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And while González appeared 16 games with the big league team that season, he drew more attention from scouts for his efforts leading Madrid's U18 team to the EuroLeague Next Generation Tournament title in both 2023 and 2024 — earning tournament MVP honors the second time.
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After starring for Spain's junior national teams at each age level, he debuted for Spain's senior national team during EuroBasket qualifiers this past February, posting 11 points and 6 rebounds in a win against Latvia.
He is viewed as more of a project
Though González had plenty of options for where to spend his pre-draft season both in Europe and in the US, he elected to remain with Real Madrid and get his first crack at playing a full season with the senior squad.
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Playing on a contending team with a mix of EuroLeague veterans and ex-NBA players, González found himself stuck on the bench for large chunks of the season ― though his minutes increased as the season progressed.
Furthermore, even during the minutes he was on the court, he lacked significant opportunities to play on the ball and develop his offensive creation.
His best traits are his motor and defense
At 6-foot-6 and 210 pounds, González is a high-level athlete who is able to absorb contact and play aggressively on both sides of the ball.
Scouts rave about González's motor and energy, and he's built a reputation in Spain for giving second and third efforts on every play and consistently getting to the dirty areas of the court.
He also brings quick reactions on defense, and he averaged 2.7 steals per game at the U18 European Championships in summer 2024.
His shooting is a big question mark
González's ceiling in the NBA will be determined in part by his ability to shoot consistently from beyond the arc.
He shot 28 percent from deep this past season with Real Madrid, and made just 25% of his threes on 96 three-point attempts for the junior Spanish national team. The Ringer's J. Kyle Mann notes that in EuroLeague competition, 'defenses typically closed out softly on him or sometimes would ignore him entirely.'
His parents were both pro players in Spain
González comes from a bloodline of Spanish basketball players. His mother, Montserrat, and father, Paco, both played professionally at Estudiantes ih Madrid ― Montserrat for the women's professional team, and Paco for the men's professional team.
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'My first basketball memories come from my parents. They played basketball and they influenced me a bit,' González said in Spanish in a February interview with ACB. 'It made me want to play as well.'
Matty Wasserman can be reached at
