June 27, 2025 • 26 mins
The Boston Celtics chose Hugo Gonzalez out of Real Madrid at No. 28, Amari Williams out of Kentucky at No. 46, and Max Shulga out of VCU at No. 57 during the 2025 NBA Draft. We dive into the background and skill sets of all three players, plus provide some context on why the Celtics chose them and why Boston traded the No. 32 pick of the second round in exchange for four second-round picks from the Orlando Magic. Fans also chime in on what they expect from the new players, and we preview the NBA Summer League which begins July 10.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
The sound off would be folks on the Boston Celtics
making one pick, trading one pick, making another couple picks,
and acquiring another couple picks.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Folks, there was a lot that went on with.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
The Boston Celtics during the twenty twenty five NBA Draft,
and we are going to dive into all of it
right now and explain all of it right now. As
you all know, the Celtics entered the draft with the
number twenty eight and the number thirty two pick. The
twenty eight pick in the first round. The thirty two
pick wound up being the second pick of the second round. Now,
(00:41):
what did the Celtics do with those Let's dive into
Night one that happened on Wednesday when we found out
that the Boston Celtics got their guy, and that is
Hugo Gonzalez out of Real Madrid. He is a native
of Spain. He's played for the national team basically his
entire life. He signed with Real Madrid when he was
not years old, and he has come up in that
(01:02):
system to become the player that the Boston Celtics.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Really wanted to get in this draft.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
And listen when the Celtics talk about drafting someone late
in the second late in the first round. They're not
looking for an all star. They're not looking for a star.
They're looking for someone who may become that who knows,
But they're looking for someone that's gonna come in and
be able to impact the team. They believe they got
that in Hugo Gonzalez, and we're gonna find out more
(01:30):
about him soon when he comes to Boston, hopefully plays
for the Summer League team, and then we'll see him
in camp next season with the Boston Celtics. Now fast
forwarding to Thursday night, when the Boston Celtics again they
own the second pick in the second round, that was
number thirty two overall. They wound up trading that pick.
What did they get in return two picks that were
(01:53):
later in the second round of Thursday Night. Those were
their number forty six and fifty seven picks, and then
they all also acquired two future second round picks that
are assets they're going to be able to have in
their stockpile and be able to use them as necessary.
Maybe they wind up drafting players, Maybe they wind up
using those picks to be able to facilitate other moves. Listen,
(02:16):
I sat down with Brad Stevens a couple summers ago
and we had a nice long one on one that
you can find right here on the Celtics YouTube channel,
and we talked about the second rounders being very important
now as we move our way into the real doldrums
of the second apron. Okay, this is when this year
is when teams are starting to feel the second apron.
(02:39):
They knew it was coming, everyone was preparing, but now
teams are starting to really feel it. And we know
that second rounders, as he told me during that interview,
are incredibly valuable. They are more valuable now than they
ever have been before. So not only did the Celtics
get to add a couple players in the second round
via that trade of the number thirty two pick, but
(03:01):
they also added two future assets that they can now
possibly utilize to facilitate other moves. Mike Zarin, vice President
of Basketball Operations, just got off the call talking with
the media about what the Celtics did tonight. This is Thursday,
the second round of the NBA Draft, and he said
that what he and the group decided is that they
(03:24):
could still get players later in the second round that
were of the same quality or very close to what
they would have chosen at number thirty two, So they
got players that were of similar quality later in the round,
all while adding a couple extra picks for the future.
So we'll get into this more a little deeper later
in the episode, but first off, let's dive in to
(03:47):
our guy, Hugo Gonzalez, who is coming to the Celtics
again out of Real Madrid. Everyone who I have talked to,
everyone who I have heard talk about Hugo Gonzalez raved
about this guy. And again this isn't saying that he's
going to become a superstar or even a star. They're
talking about the type of player that he is and
(04:09):
how he would fit in on this Boston Celtics team.
Right after the draft happened last night, this was Wednesday,
the first round, Brad Stevens came out.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
He addressed the.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
Media and he said, we believe that Hugo Gonzalez is
a player that fits our brand of basketball. We believe
that he's going to fit in around the players and
the core that we have in the He used the
term foundation in describing Jason Tatum, Jalen Brown, Derek White,
Peyton Pritchard, these types of players. He believes Hugo Gonzalez
(04:40):
is going to fit in around these guys. He is
confident in that he used the term competitive character when
he talked about Hugo Gonzalez. And again, I've talked to
some people around the Celtics organization who were involved in
the selection. I've talked to people outside the Celtics organization
about Hugo Gonzalez. Everyone talks about how hard this guy
(05:03):
plays constantly. This is not a guy who's gonna walk
on the court and give you out of ten minutes,
maybe five minutes of hard play of high motor basketball,
He's gonna give you ten.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
He never stops.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
He is like when you think about Marcus Smart and
how hard Marcus Smart played, and that heart and soul
that you remember about what you fell in love with
with him. That is the effort and the level of
effort that Hugo Gonzalez gives every second he's on the floor.
And on top of that, what Brad Stevens outlined about
(05:40):
Hugo Gonzalez is that he's willing to sacrifice for the
team and that is kind of what he has learned
by being on a team where he is not one
of the top players in terms of scoring the basketball,
taking the amount of shots. He's already learned at a
young age playing with such great players over there. For real,
Mad that he's he's learned how to play around greatness,
(06:06):
and that's what he's gonna have to do here in Boston,
because the Celtics do have greatness on this roster. They've
got two players, one of them obviously is injured, is
gonna miss at least a large chunk of next season
in Jason Tatum. But they've got two players who are
all NBA players that some of the best players in
(06:26):
the world are on this team alongside fringe a fringe
All Star in Derek White, alongside an elite shooter in
six Man of the Year in Peyton Pritchard. Like, these
are great players and the Celtics have to find guys
who are going to fit in around them. Brad Stevens
believes that they found one Wednesday night in Hugo Gonzalez.
(06:48):
He's willing to sacrifice for the betterment of the team.
As Brad said, there aren't a lot of guys who
come in at nineteen years old who have learned that
trade already. Usually they have to learn that when they
get to the NBA, because they've been the lead dog
their whole life, coming out of college, coming out of
high school, they were always the number one option. Well,
(07:10):
because of the career path that Hugo Gonzalez has taken,
he's already learned how to be that guy who can
sacrifice for the betterment of the team, who doesn't demand shots,
who doesn't demand the basketball, who can playoff others.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
He already is that.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
So the Celtics feel that they got a guy who
can come here to Boston and help the team win again.
It's not about trying to find the next Hall of
Famer or even All Star at number twenty eight. It's
about finding someone who will help this organization, and they
firmly believe that they found a guy who will do that.
(07:52):
Talking about one way that he's going to help this team.
As Brad Stevens talked about immediately last night, he was
as what is a skill that pops out about Hugogin's house.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
Immediately he said, cutting. Cutting.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
This guy knows how how to move off the ball,
and that is very important when you're talking about playing
with those other guys that I just mentioned. He has
to know how to play off the ball. He's got
to know how to find those open spaces on the floor,
either for baskets or to draw defenders away to put
pressure on the other team. Maybe it leads to offensive rebounds.
(08:28):
They're all sorts of positives that can come out of
a player knowing when to cut, where to cut, how
hard to cut. It's incredibly important to the game of basketball.
Brad Stevens also talked about the lack of body and
ball movement we call it pace in basketball that he
saw during the playoffs when the Southers got knocked out
by the New York Knicks. This is the type of
(08:49):
player who can cut. Cutting off the ball helps to
increase that pace for a team on offense. So it
really does sound like this guy is going to fit
in well for the Boston Celtics, and they are excited
about what they got at number twenty eight. And by
the way, I'm just gonna throw this in here at
the end of the commentary about Hugo Gonzalez. When you're
(09:10):
picking at number twenty eight, if you're not going, especially
considering where the Celtics are slotted, when we're talking about
what their salary is facing up against aprons when you're
picking at number twenty eight, just like they did last
year with Baylor Shireman, who was a couple picks higher
than that. But you're not going to use the pick
(09:34):
unless you're going to get someone that you really want.
They could have just traded the picks, saved some money
and helped against the cap and all that stuff. No,
just like last year with Baylor Shiremen, they decided this
year with Hugo Gonzalez, that they had someone they wanted,
They had someone who would help this team move forward,
and the organization would benefit from having them on board
(09:56):
for at the very least the next four years of
that guaranteed first round contract. So they made a conscious
decision to not trade that pick and maybe save some dollars.
They made the decision to keep the pick and use
it on Hugo Gonzalez. So I'm excited about this guy.
I can't wait to see him get out on the court.
(10:18):
Sounds like he's gonna be here in Boston as early
as next week. We don't know if that means he's
gonna be partaking in Summer League practice and possibly playing
for the Summer League team.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
We'll find out about that down the road, but he
will be here.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
In Boston as early as next week, so excited to
sit down and meet him as well.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
Now, let's get in.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
The second round, because that's when things got a little
bit crazy. Okay, we're sitting around, we're thinking the Boston
Celtics are gonna be done with their second round.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
Very early in the night.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
Mike's Aaron was originally scheduled to talk to the media
at eight forty five, wind up happening at about eleven PM. Okay,
and why because the Celtics wound up making.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
Some moves, all right.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
What they did is they decided to trade out of
that number thirty two pick and acquire two picks later
in the second round. Again, I'll repeat that, they acquire
the number forty six pick and the number fifty seven pick,
and they also acquired two future second round picks.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
So those are the assets.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
That we've talked about here at the start that Mike
'zara and Brad Stevens and that whole basketball operations team
is going to be able to utilize in the future,
either to add talent to the Boston Celtics roster or
to be able to use those picks to facilitate other moves,
and that can be in a variety of ways. We're
gonna have to wait and see how that possibly unfolds
(11:36):
over the course of the next couple of years. These picks,
I believe are coming in twenty twenty six and twenty
twenty seven, so we've got a couple of years to
see how the Boston Celtics will wind up using those picks.
But they added assets to the future, and as Brad
Stevens said to me in that interview, second round picks
are incredibly important right now in the NBA. They can
(11:57):
move the needle when you're trying to get a deal done.
We saw it with other players. We've seen it with
players like Kevin Durant. Five second rounders were involved in
that trade Listen, second rounders are important and other teams
value them.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
So not only did.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
They get those futures, but they also got to pick
at number forty six and number fifty seven. At number
forty six, the Celtics wound up getting Amari Williams. He's
a fifth year center that comes out of excuse me,
a four year center that comes out of Kentucky. He
spent his No, it was five years. I apologize five years,
first four years where Drexel, his final year at Kentucky.
(12:34):
And what Mike Zaren said on that call just a
few moments ago about Amari Williams is that he's been
By the way, this guy's seven foot tall with a
seven foot six wingspan.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
He is a huge person.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
He's a huge human being, two sixty two stepping on
the scale, a huge human being.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
But what Mike Zaren.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
Said is that he's been one of the best passers
in college basketball for a long time. Interesting to hear
that about a guy who's seven feet tall with a
seven foot six wingspan. You don't hear that very often
about centers who are one of the best passers at
the level that they were playing at.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
Very interesting to hear, and you dive into the numbers.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
Amari Williams tied for the team high and assists last
season at Kentucky. Their starting center tied for the team
high and total assists last season at Kentucky. At Kentucky,
this wasn't like a second fiddle like small conference team.
This was at Kentucky, Okay, And he tied for the
(13:37):
team lead and assists as a center at seven feet tall.
So clearly this kid has got vision. He's been said
to be a shot blocker. He's a big who can pass,
who can rebound. Jay Bill has said right on the
broadcast on ESPN, and he knows his stuff about college basketball.
He said that Amari Williams can really pass it, and
(13:57):
he can really rebound the basketball, can finish around the rim.
So sounds like a player that the Celtics could be
very fortunate to have found at number forty six. And
by the way, a couple of comps that we've got
NBA dot Com. Their camp was Jakab Pertle potentially down
the road, and Kevin O'Connor, our guy from Yahoo Sports.
(14:18):
His comp was actually Nimas Kada, who actually already plays
for the Boston Celtics. Again, Brad Stevens loves biggs who can.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
Pass the ball.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
We've seen it with Al Horford, Cada, Christas Porzingis could
really pass the ball. Brad Stevens emphasizes and puts a
heavy emphasis on getting players, big men who can.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
Pass the basketball. This guy certainly can do it.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
He can rebound, score around the basket as well, and
he can block some shots too. With seven feet tall,
so let's see what he winds up turning into. Later
in the second round, the Boston Celtics wind up getting
Max Shoga out of VCU at pick number fifty seven.
He was the Atlantic Ten Player of the Year this
past season. Shot thirty nine percent from three point range
(15:02):
over his five college seasons.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
So that's not just one season, okay.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
That's over all five of his college seasons, shot thirty
nine percent from three.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
So the kid can shoot.
Speaker 1 (15:14):
And as as Mike Zaren said after the pick and
when he came on with us a little while ago,
like this kid's a really good player. He's tough, he
can shoot, he can dribble and handle the basketball. Now
we got to find out if he can defend at
the NBA level. Zaren didn't say that. I'm saying that
based upon what I've seen and what I've read about him.
(15:35):
He's got to prove that he can defend at the
NBA level, and if he does, he's going to be
a player.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
He's going to be a round for a while.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
So again, the Celtics feel good about what they got
at forty six and fifty seven, all while adding a
couple of future assets. They also drafted Hugo Gonzalez during
the first round, who they believe is going to be
a contributor and someone who can really fit in well
with what the Boston Celtics are trying to accomplish on
the court with the core that they have in place.
(16:03):
So seems to me like a great couple of draft
nights for the Boston Celtics. By the way, let's dive
into a little bit more about the offseason, and it
does have to do with those assets.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
I do want to touch on this.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
Brad Stevens when he spoke to the media on Wednesday,
he used the word flexibility seven times. He used the
word assets three times, so that's ten instances where he
talked about flexibility and assets. The Celtics gained a little
bit of that with what they did in the second
round on Thursday. They gained some flexibility by having those
(16:39):
picks and those new assets over the next couple of
years in the second round, and they also are doing
their best to gain some flexibility by trying to make
some moves that are gonna make sense with what they're
doing financially here at the Boston Celtics moving forward. So
we'll have to wait and see when any of that
stuff comes through and what this team is going to
(16:59):
be looking like for next season. But we should understand
that Brad Stevens is putting an emphasis on flexibility and assets.
Those are two very important things. In words that he
used ten separate times on Wednesday night. That tells you
how important it is to him. So it should be
interesting to see what the Boston Celtics do on that front.
But all right, let's dive into a few comments here
(17:21):
from the fans. All right, first comment on the night
coming in from Digger Pike, who says, I see why
each was drafted. Amari has some Draymond skills, Shoga looks
like Struce talking about Max Stru's former Celtic Hugo is
very gifted. Twenty twenty seven can't get here fast enough.
(17:41):
All right, Digger, I don't like what you're coming at
me here with at the end here twenty twenty seven
can't get here fast enough. Let's not fast forward. We
don't know if these guys might be able to contribute
before that. Okay, let's wait and see again. I talked
about Hugo Gonzalez. Everyone I've spoken to, everyone I've heard
(18:03):
talk about him. Believes that he is a player who
can come in and possibly make an impact now. And
that doesn't mean by scoring the basketball, shooting and being
doing all the flashy stuff that people like to see.
It's about doing the small stuff. It's about cutting off
the ball, it's about defending, scoring in transition, playing with
(18:25):
a high basketball IQ, passing the basketball, playing with pace.
Speaker 2 (18:31):
As we talked about the Celtics want to do more
of that next season.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
He can do all of these things right now, and
he can do it around great talent on the Boston
Celtics teas. So it doesn't mean that we have to
wait until twenty twenty seven. The Celtics have a great team.
When you look around the Eastern Conference, listen, I understand
Brad Stevens said at Wednesday night, our best player, who
is a first team All NBA player is in a boot.
(18:57):
We understand that. But look around the Eastern Conference. It's
not like it's stacked with teams that are all mick
that is the by far a bona fide championship contender.
It doesn't exist in the East anymore. Okay, the Celtics
were that, then some things happen. It doesn't exist in
(19:19):
the East anymore. Celtics still have Jaylen Brown, one of
the top players in the Eastern Conference in the NBA
in general, Derek White, one of the best players in
the Eastern Conference. Peyton Pritchard's six maned it like, they
still have a ton of talent on this team. I
wouldn't overlook them, especially with the potential of adding a
player who can really play around them and play off
(19:41):
of them. So again, let's not fast forward to twenty
twenty seven. We got a season next year to play,
and I think the Boston Celtics might wind up surprising
some people with what they're still going to have on
the roster now. Talking about Amari, Digger says that Amari
has some Draymond skills.
Speaker 2 (19:58):
He does.
Speaker 1 (19:58):
He's a great passer again, tied for the lead and
assists on the Kentucky roster this past season.
Speaker 2 (20:05):
That's a big deal.
Speaker 1 (20:06):
In a surprising stat if you think about it, averaged
three point two assists per game this past season for
the Kentucky Wildcats. Also averaged almost a double double eleven
points per game, almost nine rebounds per game. This guy
can rebound. He's got great size. Mike Zaren told us
on the call after the draft tonight. Wait until you
(20:27):
see this guy in person, you will understand immediately his
size because of the wingspan that stands out.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
I'm gonna have an.
Speaker 1 (20:35):
Expectation that this guy's fingertips are going to be touching
way beneath his kneecaps when he steps in because the
wingspan is seven foot six. Is truly incredible. He's gonna
be able to change games with that, be it with
the main Celtics or with the Boston Celtics. So excited
to see him play. And by the way, hopefully he's
playing for the summer Celtics here in the next couple weeks.
We're all gonna be able to tune in and watch him.
(20:57):
What was the comment here about Sholga again, I gotta
pull that up. Sorry, went to a different screen. Shoga
looks like Strews. This is a really good reminder Max Shrews.
He did begin his career with the Boston Celtics, caught
his rhythm here and then caught on and the rest
of the NBA after he departed. I can't remember exactly
what happened if he traded. If he was traded, I
believe he was cut, but then caught on with his
(21:20):
next team and it really started to take off. But
it's a great reminder that the Boston Celtics have one
of the best development programs in the NBA. And Brad
Stevens actually talked about this a little bit last night
when he was talking about Hugo Gonzalez. He can improve
as a shooter. He's not a great shooter right now,
but Brad Stevens expects him to become a much better
shooter simply because of his work ethic and by being
(21:43):
in the Celtics development program. The same goes for Shoga.
It happened with Strews back in the day. Players get
better when they are here in Boston. That's because they
choose the right players who are committed to working their
tails off.
Speaker 2 (21:57):
Number one and number two.
Speaker 1 (21:59):
The Celtics have a great development program where they know
how to help players improve on a yearly basis. So
I expect Amari Williams to improve, I expect Shoga to improve.
Hugo Gonzalez is going to improve. Don't take it for
who these players are right now. We saw it last
season from Baylor Shinman. He came in and he struggled
out out of the gates. He did not look like
(22:21):
an NBA player. By the end of the season, he
had figured it out a little bit. Now the Celtics
are very high on him moving forward, and I think
he impressed some of the fan base out there too.
So don't think about who they are right now, think
about who they might become when they're playing within this
Celtics system and learning in this development program. So digger,
we appreciate the comment. Let's dive into our next one.
(22:44):
All right, next comment coming in from Herminio Nieves and
this comment is a player from Spain, another from England
and another from Ukraine. Celtics are Celtics are in international
FEBA mode with.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
A couple of three leaf there.
Speaker 1 (23:01):
Yeah, I don't know if this has ever happened before
where the Celtics went only international in an NBA draft.
All of these guys and we can go down the list.
Gonzalez is from Spain, he was born and raised there.
Amari Williams is from England, and then Shoga is from
Ukraine and he did play in college basketball. He was
(23:21):
over here in the US, as was Amari Williams. So
these guys had been in the United States for a
long time at this point, but they are from overseas.
They are originally from overseas, So really cool to see
the Celtics having an opportunity to sprinkle some international flavor,
some more international flavor into this locker room that they're
going to have next season. Ni MIAs Kaida, as we
(23:43):
know he is an international player. Al Horford international player.
Hopefully he's back with the Celtics. It's nice to sprinkle
in some different cultures, some different viewpoints. That always helps
a team to have a little bit better understanding of
not only the world, but the game.
Speaker 2 (23:58):
Of basketball as a whole.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
Cool to see a little international flavor coming in here
to the Boston Celtics with three players in three picks
coming in from overseas. All right, folks, last comment out
of the night. This one's coming in from n E Arena,
and this comment says, I expect to hear Williams two
Gonzalez a lot. I think we might be hearing that.
(24:23):
I hope fingers are crossed. I hope we are hearing
that out in Las Vegas. From July tenth to twentieth,
that is when the NBA Summer League will be kicking off.
The Boston Celtics will be out there. We still gotta
wait and see who's gonna be on that roster for
the Boston Celtics. Will Hugo beyond the roster? Will Amari
Williams be on the roster if they are. I think
(24:43):
you are right on in e Arena. I think we're
gonna be hearing that a lot, not only out there
in Vegas, but we might be hearing that up in Maine.
Speaker 2 (24:51):
We might be hearing that with the Celtics in due time.
Speaker 1 (24:55):
Amari Williams is one of the most gifted passing big
men that is available, was available in this draft this season,
if not the most gifted passing big man. And then
Gonzales with his cutting ability off the ball. I do
think that there's gonna be some magic there with those
guys here out of the gate. So I am looking
forward to that, folks. Summer league again coming up July
(25:17):
tenth to twentieth, We're gonna have some coverage from the
Celtics practices for summer League. Those are scheduled to happen
sometime here after the July fourth holiday. Make sure you
stay locked into the Celtics channels. We're gonna have stuff
on YouTube, on the social channels, We're gonna have stuff
on Celtics dot Com with written content. Tune in, check
out all of our channels. Stay up to date with
(25:38):
everything that is the Boston Celtics Summer League. We're launching
a brand new page called Summer League Central. Everything you're
gonna want is going to be on that page. Roster stats, information,
inside access. Everything you want, it's gonna be there. So
make sure you come back to our channels when the
Summer League kicks off again. Practice happened and shortly after
the fourth and then we've got the game starting up
(26:00):
between the tenth and the twentieth. We're waiting to see
the schedule to come out here in the coming days.
But it's coming in hot. It's coming in hot, just
like July is. The temperatures are rising and we can't
wait to see the Summer Celtics out on the court.
Appreciate you tuning in, Appreciate you taking part in the
podcast tonight. We'll see you next time with another episode
of sound Off.
Speaker 2 (26:19):
When is it gonna happen? We don't know.
Speaker 1 (26:21):
I'm guessing sometime then July to go shou keep it
tuned in.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
Thanks both
The sound off would be folks on the Boston Celtics
making one pick, trading one pick, making another couple picks,
and acquiring another couple picks.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Folks, there was a lot that went on with.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
The Boston Celtics during the twenty twenty five NBA Draft,
and we are going to dive into all of it
right now and explain all of it right now. As
you all know, the Celtics entered the draft with the
number twenty eight and the number thirty two pick. The
twenty eight pick in the first round. The thirty two
pick wound up being the second pick of the second round. Now,
(00:41):
what did the Celtics do with those Let's dive into
Night one that happened on Wednesday when we found out
that the Boston Celtics got their guy, and that is
Hugo Gonzalez out of Real Madrid. He is a native
of Spain. He's played for the national team basically his
entire life. He signed with Real Madrid when he was
not years old, and he has come up in that
(01:02):
system to become the player that the Boston Celtics.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Really wanted to get in this draft.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
And listen when the Celtics talk about drafting someone late
in the second late in the first round. They're not
looking for an all star. They're not looking for a star.
They're looking for someone who may become that who knows,
But they're looking for someone that's gonna come in and
be able to impact the team. They believe they got
that in Hugo Gonzalez, and we're gonna find out more
(01:30):
about him soon when he comes to Boston, hopefully plays
for the Summer League team, and then we'll see him
in camp next season with the Boston Celtics. Now fast
forwarding to Thursday night, when the Boston Celtics again they
own the second pick in the second round, that was
number thirty two overall. They wound up trading that pick.
What did they get in return two picks that were
(01:53):
later in the second round of Thursday Night. Those were
their number forty six and fifty seven picks, and then
they all also acquired two future second round picks that
are assets they're going to be able to have in
their stockpile and be able to use them as necessary.
Maybe they wind up drafting players, Maybe they wind up
using those picks to be able to facilitate other moves. Listen,
(02:16):
I sat down with Brad Stevens a couple summers ago
and we had a nice long one on one that
you can find right here on the Celtics YouTube channel,
and we talked about the second rounders being very important
now as we move our way into the real doldrums
of the second apron. Okay, this is when this year
is when teams are starting to feel the second apron.
(02:39):
They knew it was coming, everyone was preparing, but now
teams are starting to really feel it. And we know
that second rounders, as he told me during that interview,
are incredibly valuable. They are more valuable now than they
ever have been before. So not only did the Celtics
get to add a couple players in the second round
via that trade of the number thirty two pick, but
(03:01):
they also added two future assets that they can now
possibly utilize to facilitate other moves. Mike Zarin, vice President
of Basketball Operations, just got off the call talking with
the media about what the Celtics did tonight. This is Thursday,
the second round of the NBA Draft, and he said
that what he and the group decided is that they
(03:24):
could still get players later in the second round that
were of the same quality or very close to what
they would have chosen at number thirty two, So they
got players that were of similar quality later in the round,
all while adding a couple extra picks for the future.
So we'll get into this more a little deeper later
in the episode, but first off, let's dive in to
(03:47):
our guy, Hugo Gonzalez, who is coming to the Celtics
again out of Real Madrid. Everyone who I have talked to,
everyone who I have heard talk about Hugo Gonzalez raved
about this guy. And again this isn't saying that he's
going to become a superstar or even a star. They're
talking about the type of player that he is and
(04:09):
how he would fit in on this Boston Celtics team.
Right after the draft happened last night, this was Wednesday,
the first round, Brad Stevens came out.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
He addressed the.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
Media and he said, we believe that Hugo Gonzalez is
a player that fits our brand of basketball. We believe
that he's going to fit in around the players and
the core that we have in the He used the
term foundation in describing Jason Tatum, Jalen Brown, Derek White,
Peyton Pritchard, these types of players. He believes Hugo Gonzalez
(04:40):
is going to fit in around these guys. He is
confident in that he used the term competitive character when
he talked about Hugo Gonzalez. And again, I've talked to
some people around the Celtics organization who were involved in
the selection. I've talked to people outside the Celtics organization
about Hugo Gonzalez. Everyone talks about how hard this guy
(05:03):
plays constantly. This is not a guy who's gonna walk
on the court and give you out of ten minutes,
maybe five minutes of hard play of high motor basketball,
He's gonna give you ten.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
He never stops.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
He is like when you think about Marcus Smart and
how hard Marcus Smart played, and that heart and soul
that you remember about what you fell in love with
with him. That is the effort and the level of
effort that Hugo Gonzalez gives every second he's on the floor.
And on top of that, what Brad Stevens outlined about
(05:40):
Hugo Gonzalez is that he's willing to sacrifice for the
team and that is kind of what he has learned
by being on a team where he is not one
of the top players in terms of scoring the basketball,
taking the amount of shots. He's already learned at a
young age playing with such great players over there. For real,
Mad that he's he's learned how to play around greatness,
(06:06):
and that's what he's gonna have to do here in Boston,
because the Celtics do have greatness on this roster. They've
got two players, one of them obviously is injured, is
gonna miss at least a large chunk of next season
in Jason Tatum. But they've got two players who are
all NBA players that some of the best players in
(06:26):
the world are on this team alongside fringe a fringe
All Star in Derek White, alongside an elite shooter in
six Man of the Year in Peyton Pritchard. Like, these
are great players and the Celtics have to find guys
who are going to fit in around them. Brad Stevens
believes that they found one Wednesday night in Hugo Gonzalez.
(06:48):
He's willing to sacrifice for the betterment of the team.
As Brad said, there aren't a lot of guys who
come in at nineteen years old who have learned that
trade already. Usually they have to learn that when they
get to the NBA, because they've been the lead dog
their whole life, coming out of college, coming out of
high school, they were always the number one option. Well,
(07:10):
because of the career path that Hugo Gonzalez has taken,
he's already learned how to be that guy who can
sacrifice for the betterment of the team, who doesn't demand shots,
who doesn't demand the basketball, who can playoff others.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
He already is that.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
So the Celtics feel that they got a guy who
can come here to Boston and help the team win again.
It's not about trying to find the next Hall of
Famer or even All Star at number twenty eight. It's
about finding someone who will help this organization, and they
firmly believe that they found a guy who will do that.
(07:52):
Talking about one way that he's going to help this team.
As Brad Stevens talked about immediately last night, he was
as what is a skill that pops out about Hugogin's house.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
Immediately he said, cutting. Cutting.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
This guy knows how how to move off the ball,
and that is very important when you're talking about playing
with those other guys that I just mentioned. He has
to know how to play off the ball. He's got
to know how to find those open spaces on the floor,
either for baskets or to draw defenders away to put
pressure on the other team. Maybe it leads to offensive rebounds.
(08:28):
They're all sorts of positives that can come out of
a player knowing when to cut, where to cut, how
hard to cut. It's incredibly important to the game of basketball.
Brad Stevens also talked about the lack of body and
ball movement we call it pace in basketball that he
saw during the playoffs when the Southers got knocked out
by the New York Knicks. This is the type of
(08:49):
player who can cut. Cutting off the ball helps to
increase that pace for a team on offense. So it
really does sound like this guy is going to fit
in well for the Boston Celtics, and they are excited
about what they got at number twenty eight. And by
the way, I'm just gonna throw this in here at
the end of the commentary about Hugo Gonzalez. When you're
(09:10):
picking at number twenty eight, if you're not going, especially
considering where the Celtics are slotted, when we're talking about
what their salary is facing up against aprons when you're
picking at number twenty eight, just like they did last
year with Baylor Shireman, who was a couple picks higher
than that. But you're not going to use the pick
(09:34):
unless you're going to get someone that you really want.
They could have just traded the picks, saved some money
and helped against the cap and all that stuff. No,
just like last year with Baylor Shiremen, they decided this
year with Hugo Gonzalez, that they had someone they wanted,
They had someone who would help this team move forward,
and the organization would benefit from having them on board
(09:56):
for at the very least the next four years of
that guaranteed first round contract. So they made a conscious
decision to not trade that pick and maybe save some dollars.
They made the decision to keep the pick and use
it on Hugo Gonzalez. So I'm excited about this guy.
I can't wait to see him get out on the court.
(10:18):
Sounds like he's gonna be here in Boston as early
as next week. We don't know if that means he's
gonna be partaking in Summer League practice and possibly playing
for the Summer League team.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
We'll find out about that down the road, but he
will be here.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
In Boston as early as next week, so excited to
sit down and meet him as well.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
Now, let's get in.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
The second round, because that's when things got a little
bit crazy. Okay, we're sitting around, we're thinking the Boston
Celtics are gonna be done with their second round.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
Very early in the night.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
Mike's Aaron was originally scheduled to talk to the media
at eight forty five, wind up happening at about eleven PM. Okay,
and why because the Celtics wound up making.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
Some moves, all right.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
What they did is they decided to trade out of
that number thirty two pick and acquire two picks later
in the second round. Again, I'll repeat that, they acquire
the number forty six pick and the number fifty seven pick,
and they also acquired two future second round picks.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
So those are the assets.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
That we've talked about here at the start that Mike
'zara and Brad Stevens and that whole basketball operations team
is going to be able to utilize in the future,
either to add talent to the Boston Celtics roster or
to be able to use those picks to facilitate other moves,
and that can be in a variety of ways. We're
gonna have to wait and see how that possibly unfolds
(11:36):
over the course of the next couple of years. These picks,
I believe are coming in twenty twenty six and twenty
twenty seven, so we've got a couple of years to
see how the Boston Celtics will wind up using those picks.
But they added assets to the future, and as Brad
Stevens said to me in that interview, second round picks
are incredibly important right now in the NBA. They can
(11:57):
move the needle when you're trying to get a deal done.
We saw it with other players. We've seen it with
players like Kevin Durant. Five second rounders were involved in
that trade Listen, second rounders are important and other teams
value them.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
So not only did.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
They get those futures, but they also got to pick
at number forty six and number fifty seven. At number
forty six, the Celtics wound up getting Amari Williams. He's
a fifth year center that comes out of excuse me,
a four year center that comes out of Kentucky. He
spent his No, it was five years. I apologize five years,
first four years where Drexel, his final year at Kentucky.
(12:34):
And what Mike Zaren said on that call just a
few moments ago about Amari Williams is that he's been
By the way, this guy's seven foot tall with a
seven foot six wingspan.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
He is a huge person.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
He's a huge human being, two sixty two stepping on
the scale, a huge human being.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
But what Mike Zaren.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
Said is that he's been one of the best passers
in college basketball for a long time. Interesting to hear
that about a guy who's seven feet tall with a
seven foot six wingspan. You don't hear that very often
about centers who are one of the best passers at
the level that they were playing at.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
Very interesting to hear, and you dive into the numbers.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
Amari Williams tied for the team high and assists last
season at Kentucky. Their starting center tied for the team
high and total assists last season at Kentucky. At Kentucky,
this wasn't like a second fiddle like small conference team.
This was at Kentucky, Okay, And he tied for the
(13:37):
team lead and assists as a center at seven feet tall.
So clearly this kid has got vision. He's been said
to be a shot blocker. He's a big who can pass,
who can rebound. Jay Bill has said right on the
broadcast on ESPN, and he knows his stuff about college basketball.
He said that Amari Williams can really pass it, and
(13:57):
he can really rebound the basketball, can finish around the rim.
So sounds like a player that the Celtics could be
very fortunate to have found at number forty six. And
by the way, a couple of comps that we've got
NBA dot Com. Their camp was Jakab Pertle potentially down
the road, and Kevin O'Connor, our guy from Yahoo Sports.
(14:18):
His comp was actually Nimas Kada, who actually already plays
for the Boston Celtics. Again, Brad Stevens loves biggs who can.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
Pass the ball.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
We've seen it with Al Horford, Cada, Christas Porzingis could
really pass the ball. Brad Stevens emphasizes and puts a
heavy emphasis on getting players, big men who can.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
Pass the basketball. This guy certainly can do it.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
He can rebound, score around the basket as well, and
he can block some shots too. With seven feet tall,
so let's see what he winds up turning into. Later
in the second round, the Boston Celtics wind up getting
Max Shoga out of VCU at pick number fifty seven.
He was the Atlantic Ten Player of the Year this
past season. Shot thirty nine percent from three point range
(15:02):
over his five college seasons.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
So that's not just one season, okay.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
That's over all five of his college seasons, shot thirty
nine percent from three.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
So the kid can shoot.
Speaker 1 (15:14):
And as as Mike Zaren said after the pick and
when he came on with us a little while ago,
like this kid's a really good player. He's tough, he
can shoot, he can dribble and handle the basketball. Now
we got to find out if he can defend at
the NBA level. Zaren didn't say that. I'm saying that
based upon what I've seen and what I've read about him.
(15:35):
He's got to prove that he can defend at the
NBA level, and if he does, he's going to be
a player.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
He's going to be a round for a while.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
So again, the Celtics feel good about what they got
at forty six and fifty seven, all while adding a
couple of future assets. They also drafted Hugo Gonzalez during
the first round, who they believe is going to be
a contributor and someone who can really fit in well
with what the Boston Celtics are trying to accomplish on
the court with the core that they have in place.
(16:03):
So seems to me like a great couple of draft
nights for the Boston Celtics. By the way, let's dive
into a little bit more about the offseason, and it
does have to do with those assets.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
I do want to touch on this.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
Brad Stevens when he spoke to the media on Wednesday,
he used the word flexibility seven times. He used the
word assets three times, so that's ten instances where he
talked about flexibility and assets. The Celtics gained a little
bit of that with what they did in the second
round on Thursday. They gained some flexibility by having those
(16:39):
picks and those new assets over the next couple of
years in the second round, and they also are doing
their best to gain some flexibility by trying to make
some moves that are gonna make sense with what they're
doing financially here at the Boston Celtics moving forward. So
we'll have to wait and see when any of that
stuff comes through and what this team is going to
(16:59):
be looking like for next season. But we should understand
that Brad Stevens is putting an emphasis on flexibility and assets.
Those are two very important things. In words that he
used ten separate times on Wednesday night. That tells you
how important it is to him. So it should be
interesting to see what the Boston Celtics do on that front.
But all right, let's dive into a few comments here
(17:21):
from the fans. All right, first comment on the night
coming in from Digger Pike, who says, I see why
each was drafted. Amari has some Draymond skills, Shoga looks
like Struce talking about Max Stru's former Celtic Hugo is
very gifted. Twenty twenty seven can't get here fast enough.
(17:41):
All right, Digger, I don't like what you're coming at
me here with at the end here twenty twenty seven
can't get here fast enough. Let's not fast forward. We
don't know if these guys might be able to contribute
before that. Okay, let's wait and see again. I talked
about Hugo Gonzalez. Everyone I've spoken to, everyone I've heard
(18:03):
talk about him. Believes that he is a player who
can come in and possibly make an impact now. And
that doesn't mean by scoring the basketball, shooting and being
doing all the flashy stuff that people like to see.
It's about doing the small stuff. It's about cutting off
the ball, it's about defending, scoring in transition, playing with
(18:25):
a high basketball IQ, passing the basketball, playing with pace.
Speaker 2 (18:31):
As we talked about the Celtics want to do more
of that next season.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
He can do all of these things right now, and
he can do it around great talent on the Boston
Celtics teas. So it doesn't mean that we have to
wait until twenty twenty seven. The Celtics have a great team.
When you look around the Eastern Conference, listen, I understand
Brad Stevens said at Wednesday night, our best player, who
is a first team All NBA player is in a boot.
(18:57):
We understand that. But look around the Eastern Conference. It's
not like it's stacked with teams that are all mick
that is the by far a bona fide championship contender.
It doesn't exist in the East anymore. Okay, the Celtics
were that, then some things happen. It doesn't exist in
(19:19):
the East anymore. Celtics still have Jaylen Brown, one of
the top players in the Eastern Conference in the NBA
in general, Derek White, one of the best players in
the Eastern Conference. Peyton Pritchard's six maned it like, they
still have a ton of talent on this team. I
wouldn't overlook them, especially with the potential of adding a
player who can really play around them and play off
(19:41):
of them. So again, let's not fast forward to twenty
twenty seven. We got a season next year to play,
and I think the Boston Celtics might wind up surprising
some people with what they're still going to have on
the roster now. Talking about Amari, Digger says that Amari
has some Draymond skills.
Speaker 2 (19:58):
He does.
Speaker 1 (19:58):
He's a great passer again, tied for the lead and
assists on the Kentucky roster this past season.
Speaker 2 (20:05):
That's a big deal.
Speaker 1 (20:06):
In a surprising stat if you think about it, averaged
three point two assists per game this past season for
the Kentucky Wildcats. Also averaged almost a double double eleven
points per game, almost nine rebounds per game. This guy
can rebound. He's got great size. Mike Zaren told us
on the call after the draft tonight. Wait until you
(20:27):
see this guy in person, you will understand immediately his
size because of the wingspan that stands out.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
I'm gonna have an.
Speaker 1 (20:35):
Expectation that this guy's fingertips are going to be touching
way beneath his kneecaps when he steps in because the
wingspan is seven foot six. Is truly incredible. He's gonna
be able to change games with that, be it with
the main Celtics or with the Boston Celtics. So excited
to see him play. And by the way, hopefully he's
playing for the summer Celtics here in the next couple weeks.
We're all gonna be able to tune in and watch him.
(20:57):
What was the comment here about Sholga again, I gotta
pull that up. Sorry, went to a different screen. Shoga
looks like Strews. This is a really good reminder Max Shrews.
He did begin his career with the Boston Celtics, caught
his rhythm here and then caught on and the rest
of the NBA after he departed. I can't remember exactly
what happened if he traded. If he was traded, I
believe he was cut, but then caught on with his
(21:20):
next team and it really started to take off. But
it's a great reminder that the Boston Celtics have one
of the best development programs in the NBA. And Brad
Stevens actually talked about this a little bit last night
when he was talking about Hugo Gonzalez. He can improve
as a shooter. He's not a great shooter right now,
but Brad Stevens expects him to become a much better
shooter simply because of his work ethic and by being
(21:43):
in the Celtics development program. The same goes for Shoga.
It happened with Strews back in the day. Players get
better when they are here in Boston. That's because they
choose the right players who are committed to working their
tails off.
Speaker 2 (21:57):
Number one and number two.
Speaker 1 (21:59):
The Celtics have a great development program where they know
how to help players improve on a yearly basis. So
I expect Amari Williams to improve, I expect Shoga to improve.
Hugo Gonzalez is going to improve. Don't take it for
who these players are right now. We saw it last
season from Baylor Shinman. He came in and he struggled
out out of the gates. He did not look like
(22:21):
an NBA player. By the end of the season, he
had figured it out a little bit. Now the Celtics
are very high on him moving forward, and I think
he impressed some of the fan base out there too.
So don't think about who they are right now, think
about who they might become when they're playing within this
Celtics system and learning in this development program. So digger,
we appreciate the comment. Let's dive into our next one.
(22:44):
All right, next comment coming in from Herminio Nieves and
this comment is a player from Spain, another from England
and another from Ukraine. Celtics are Celtics are in international
FEBA mode with.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
A couple of three leaf there.
Speaker 1 (23:01):
Yeah, I don't know if this has ever happened before
where the Celtics went only international in an NBA draft.
All of these guys and we can go down the list.
Gonzalez is from Spain, he was born and raised there.
Amari Williams is from England, and then Shoga is from
Ukraine and he did play in college basketball. He was
(23:21):
over here in the US, as was Amari Williams. So
these guys had been in the United States for a
long time at this point, but they are from overseas.
They are originally from overseas, So really cool to see
the Celtics having an opportunity to sprinkle some international flavor,
some more international flavor into this locker room that they're
going to have next season. Ni MIAs Kaida, as we
(23:43):
know he is an international player. Al Horford international player.
Hopefully he's back with the Celtics. It's nice to sprinkle
in some different cultures, some different viewpoints. That always helps
a team to have a little bit better understanding of
not only the world, but the game.
Speaker 2 (23:58):
Of basketball as a whole.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
Cool to see a little international flavor coming in here
to the Boston Celtics with three players in three picks
coming in from overseas. All right, folks, last comment out
of the night. This one's coming in from n E Arena,
and this comment says, I expect to hear Williams two
Gonzalez a lot. I think we might be hearing that.
(24:23):
I hope fingers are crossed. I hope we are hearing
that out in Las Vegas. From July tenth to twentieth,
that is when the NBA Summer League will be kicking off.
The Boston Celtics will be out there. We still gotta
wait and see who's gonna be on that roster for
the Boston Celtics. Will Hugo beyond the roster? Will Amari
Williams be on the roster if they are. I think
(24:43):
you are right on in e Arena. I think we're
gonna be hearing that a lot, not only out there
in Vegas, but we might be hearing that up in Maine.
Speaker 2 (24:51):
We might be hearing that with the Celtics in due time.
Speaker 1 (24:55):
Amari Williams is one of the most gifted passing big
men that is available, was available in this draft this season,
if not the most gifted passing big man. And then
Gonzales with his cutting ability off the ball. I do
think that there's gonna be some magic there with those
guys here out of the gate. So I am looking
forward to that, folks. Summer league again coming up July
(25:17):
tenth to twentieth, We're gonna have some coverage from the
Celtics practices for summer League. Those are scheduled to happen
sometime here after the July fourth holiday. Make sure you
stay locked into the Celtics channels. We're gonna have stuff
on YouTube, on the social channels, We're gonna have stuff
on Celtics dot Com with written content. Tune in, check
out all of our channels. Stay up to date with
(25:38):
everything that is the Boston Celtics Summer League. We're launching
a brand new page called Summer League Central. Everything you're
gonna want is going to be on that page. Roster stats, information,
inside access. Everything you want, it's gonna be there. So
make sure you come back to our channels when the
Summer League kicks off again. Practice happened and shortly after
the fourth and then we've got the game starting up
(26:00):
between the tenth and the twentieth. We're waiting to see
the schedule to come out here in the coming days.
But it's coming in hot. It's coming in hot, just
like July is. The temperatures are rising and we can't
wait to see the Summer Celtics out on the court.
Appreciate you tuning in, Appreciate you taking part in the
podcast tonight. We'll see you next time with another episode
of sound Off.
Speaker 2 (26:19):
When is it gonna happen? We don't know.
Speaker 1 (26:21):
I'm guessing sometime then July to go shou keep it
tuned in.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
Thanks both
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