The Boston Celtics have certainly downgraded this offseason, and one of their most recent additions might not solve any problems.
Over the past few weeks, the Celtics have steadily torn down much of the championship core from just a year ago. With Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis being shipped out, and Luke Kornet and Al Horford heading elsewhere, the Celtics are in a strange spot.
Going into next season, Boston doesn’t exactly have any hopes of contending for a title. With Jayson Tatum set to miss the entire year, the Celtics can essentially start looking toward the 2026-27 season while still hoping to make the playoffs next season.
Along with still looking to be in the postseason picture out East next season, the Celtics are also hoping to figure out which of their new additions would be worth keeping around as they gear up for another deep run in 2027. The Celtics are hoping that 2025 first-round pick Hugo Gonzalez could be one of those players.
However, his Summer League performance left plenty to be desired. Former Memphis Grizzlies executive and The Athletic columnist John Hollinger recently wrote why he is concerned about Boston’s latest pick.
Hollinger noted that in Summer League, Gonzalez had as many turnovers as baskets and was a shaky shooter at best from every level. While Gonzalez is coming off a full season overseas, which could have led to some of his summer shortcomings, Hollinger acknowledged that still didn’t explain all of his struggles on the floor.
Of course, it’s impossible to take any massive lessons away from Summer League. Still, the Celtics have to be a bit concerned about how their rookie looked in his first taste of NBA action.
