12-07-2025
Celtics' Hugo González upset about free throws, but happy with win in summer league debut
LAS VEGAS — One of the most revealing moments of Hugo González's summer league debut came at halftime.
When the Celtics walked onto the court to warm up for the second half, most of González's teammates scattered across the 3-point arc, casually shooting outside shots. González, Boston's first-round pick, headed straight for the free-throw line. He had missed four free throws during the first half of his team's 92-78 win against Memphis, including all three after a 3-point foul. If he could prevent another cold streak like that, he was going to do it.
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'I'm not allowing myself to miss like today,' González said. 'What I'm getting upset (about) because of today's game is because of the free-throw line. Something that, of course, everything in my game I need to improve, but it's something that I'm not allowing again.'
González was the only Celtics player to attempt any free throws during the quick halftime break. He didn't try shots from anywhere else, releasing one free throw after another, his expressive face revealing how he felt about each attempt. Normally solid from the free-throw line, it disgusted him that he had missed so many in the first half.
'That was the main reason (why), at halftime, I was shooting free throws,' González said, 'because I'm really, really, obsessed with giving my best performance. And I'm not allowing (myself) to miss like that again.'
For as many skills as González showcased during a promising summer league debut, his attitude stood out the most. He expressed frustration after mistakes. He celebrated big plays with screams and gestures. While piling up 12 points, five assists, two blocks and a steal over a team-high 28 minutes, he pressured opponents full-court, attacked the rim with aggression and competed with a sense of bravado.
'I would say Hugo and the whole team were just pressuring relentlessly the whole game,' said Celtics summer league head coach Matt Reynolds. 'That's what we asked them to do. And he ended up on the ball handlers a lot. Particularly down the stretch, you could see that he was kind of wearing it a little bit. But that was an excellent tone that he and our backcourt set throughout the course of the game.'
Despite the missed free throws, González's debut brought more ups than downs. On the Celtics' opening possession, he tracked down an offensive rebound and finished a putback layup. Later in the first quarter, he showcased his ability to lead the fast break by drawing a foul with a Eurostep in transition. For the game, he sank three of his five 3-point attempts, a promising start for him after he shot just 28.6 percent from deep for Real Madrid last season. One of his makes was an off-the-dribble 3-pointer near the end of the shot clock, turning what could have been an empty possession into a basket. His five assists included a pretty lefty dish to Charles Bassey for a dunk.
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While helping the Celtics pull away in the fourth quarter, González helped to force several turnovers. He drew one offensive foul while working to stay with Cam Spencer around a screen and another offensive foul on a Spencer drive. With about four minutes left, González pumped his fist in celebration after hounding Aaron Estrada throughout a key defensive possession and helping to force a shot clock violation.
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González wasn't perfect. He got stripped during the first quarter and threw a couple of passes that were deflected. With the Celtics ahead early in the fourth quarter, he missed two shots in a row: a floater from inside the paint and a tough layup through contact. He shot just 4 for 12 from the field (1 for 7 on 2-point attempts) and 1 for 5 from the free-throw line. He looked exhausted on the court at times, not necessarily a surprise considering he played limited minutes for Real Madrid last season.
'It was hard to catch up with the pace and everything,' González said. 'When I was in Europe, the game is a lot of times a little bit slower, trying to have the possession until the end (of the shot clock). Here, if you got a shot, you better take it. That's actually making the game really up and down and you gotta catch up with that if you wanna play. I'm just trying to adapt as soon as I can so (I can) contribute to the team.'
González, 19, finished his season in Spain on the same day as the NBA Draft. Especially for a teenager moving to the United States for the first time, it was a quick turnaround to join the Celtics for summer league and begin learning all the new aspects of the NBA. The team has sounded thrilled about the way he has approached the process.
Friday represented a continuation of that. Even while adjusting to certain parts of the NBA game, González showed the talent that convinced the Celtics to select him with the 28th pick in June's draft.
'For the summer league team, I would say that what you saw this afternoon is exactly what we're looking for him to do: Pressure the ball, space the floor, be ready to shoot, handle the ball, make plays for others, attack the basket,' said Reynolds. 'I thought his aggression attacking the paint was excellent. Some plays he finished, some plays he didn't. And I think that's going to kind of even out going forward.'
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González's debut was just one small step at the beginning of what could be a long NBA career. He liked one part best.
'We won the game,' González said. 'And that was the main objective, before thinking about individual stats and everything. We won the game and that is what we are here for, so really happy about the team and the performance.'
