Why Hugo Gonzalez has potential to be Derrick White-level player originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Years ago, Celtics insider Chris Forsberg learned from Kyrie Irving (by way of the ever-so-wise Brad Stevens) a simple truth about life: Comparison is the thief of joy.

That may be true, but when it comes to projecting ceilings for young players, comparisons are often the clearest way to try to envision what the future may hold. And in the case of Hugo Gonzalez — Boston’s selection at No. 28 overall in the 2025 draft — the comparisons and projections are starting to fly.

On the latest edition of the Celtics Talk Podcast, Forsberg and SI’s John Karalis focused on the 20-year-old Gonzalez after his performances at Summer League and FIBA qualifying competition, with Karalis using Derrick White as a potential comparison.

“I think he could be one of your top-three guys, and I don’t think it’s the top two. I don’t think he’s going to be a multiple-time All-Star. That’s why I compare him to Derrick White,” Karlis said on He’s not the same player as Derrick White, but there are some things in there where it’s energy, it’s defense, and some of the instincts that Derrick had that made Gregg Popovich go, ‘Just be confident and the rest is gonna come.’ I think with Hugo, I don’t think the confidence is lacking at all. It’s just learning the game.”

Forsberg noted that Gonzalez’s passing this summer has been better than expected and used a former Celtics guard as a point of comparison.

“He’s got that sort of competitiveness of Marcus Smart where he just wants to go make the right play,” Forsberg said. “I don’t think scoring will ever be his thing. If he’s a little bit more disciplined than Marcus with the shot selection, which he does feel like he will be, then I love the profile of what he can be. And obviously he’s bigger than both those guys [Smart and White]. He’s stronger, which is weird to say, because Marcus was really strong. But Hugo is freakishly strong and he’s got the wingspan, he’s got the giant hands, he’s got the potential to be a legitimate force on the defensive end and we’ll see how that manifests itself.”

SI’s Chris Mannix also chimed in on Gonzalez, noting that the sky is seemingly the limit for his growth.

“I love Hugo, and I think he does have the highest ceiling of any of the young players on this roster,” Mannix told Forsberg. “I think Hugo has as much room to grow as anyone, because he is kind of a blank slate. Like, he doesn’t know anything about offense. He just doesn’t. … But the things that he does — cutting, rebounding, offensive rebounding, a nose for the ball — you can’t teach that stuff. So I hope the work with Hugo begins immediately.

“I hope we see him polishing around those edges, because I think this guy has all the tools that you want in a rotation player,” Mannix added. “I think this guy has the ability to be a 10-year role player in this league and do it at a pretty high level.”

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