Celtics (0-0) vs Raptors (0-0) Las Vegas SL Game 1 7/10/26

[DefenseWinsChamps]

I'd say Hugo's bad shooting was partially because he was covered when he took his shots. He forced up some shots because the offense wasn't flowing and someone needed to shoot it.

I'm not bothered at all by the shooting, because he was so, so good getting to the rim and distributing this game. He was also every bit as good on defense as we've come to expect.

I don?t know how people can?t be bothered by the shooting. Hugo can?t consistently make free throws. His shooting form isn?t not good. I hope Tatum gives him Drew Hanlens number.

Because his form isn't bad, his rookie year was a respectable 36%, he's only 19, and he projects to be more of a slasher/energy guy/defender than a shooter and he does those things at a really good level already.

I've always thought of him in the mold of Josh Hart, Alex Caruso, Christian Braun type player, and I think he can be equally as effective outside as those guys.

The 36% is a very small sample size as he was attempting 1.6 threes per game and they were almost all corner 3s. I mean, he can?t consistently make free throws.

I like everything else he does, but the guys you mentioned above are much better shooters.

Caruso averaged 30% his rookie season on 1.2 attempts per game. Heck, last year he was below 30% on 3 attempts per game.

Braun was 30% last year on 3 attempts per game.

Hugo averaged 80% from the line in 76 Euro-league games.

[Goldstar88]

I'd say Hugo's bad shooting was partially because he was covered when he took his shots. He forced up some shots because the offense wasn't flowing and someone needed to shoot it.

I'm not bothered at all by the shooting, because he was so, so good getting to the rim and distributing this game. He was also every bit as good on defense as we've come to expect.

I don?t know how people can?t be bothered by the shooting. Hugo can?t consistently make free throws. His shooting form isn?t not good. I hope Tatum gives him Drew Hanlens number.

Because his form isn't bad, his rookie year was a respectable 36%, he's only 19, and he projects to be more of a slasher/energy guy/defender than a shooter and he does those things at a really good level already.

I've always thought of him in the mold of Josh Hart, Alex Caruso, Christian Braun type player, and I think he can be equally as effective outside as those guys.

The 36% is a very small sample size as he was attempting 1.6 threes per game and they were almost all corner 3s. I mean, he can?t consistently make free throws.

I like everything else he does, but the guys you mentioned above are much better shooters.

Caruso averaged 30% his rookie season on 1.2 attempts per game. Heck, last year he was below 30% on 3 attempts per game.

Braun was 30% last year on 3 attempts per game.

Hugo averaged 80% from the line in 76 Euro-league games.

Sure, but those guys were not out there bricking free throws. If you can?t make FTs consistently you are a poor shooter.

[Roy H.]

I'd say Hugo's bad shooting was partially because he was covered when he took his shots. He forced up some shots because the offense wasn't flowing and someone needed to shoot it.

I'm not bothered at all by the shooting, because he was so, so good getting to the rim and distributing this game. He was also every bit as good on defense as we've come to expect.

I don?t know how people can?t be bothered by the shooting. Hugo can?t consistently make free throws. His shooting form isn?t not good. I hope Tatum gives him Drew Hanlens number.

Because his form isn't bad, his rookie year was a respectable 36%, he's only 19, and he projects to be more of a slasher/energy guy/defender than a shooter and he does those things at a really good level already.

I've always thought of him in the mold of Josh Hart, Alex Caruso, Christian Braun type player, and I think he can be equally as effective outside as those guys.

The 36% is a very small sample size as he was attempting 1.6 threes per game and they were almost all corner 3s. I mean, he can?t consistently make free throws.

I like everything else he does, but the guys you mentioned above are much better shooters.

Caruso averaged 30% his rookie season on 1.2 attempts per game. Heck, last year he was below 30% on 3 attempts per game.

Braun was 30% last year on 3 attempts per game.

Hugo averaged 80% from the line in 76 Euro-league games.

Sure, but those guys were not out there bricking free throws. If you can?t make FTs consistently you are a poor shooter.

Did you read his last sentence?

[Celtics4ever]

Shooting is a skill that can be developed.   I think the Celtics believe this as well and have a decent track of showing improvement in this area on guys.  Walsh is a great example.

[Goldstar88]

I'd say Hugo's bad shooting was partially because he was covered when he took his shots. He forced up some shots because the offense wasn't flowing and someone needed to shoot it.

I'm not bothered at all by the shooting, because he was so, so good getting to the rim and distributing this game. He was also every bit as good on defense as we've come to expect.

I don?t know how people can?t be bothered by the shooting. Hugo can?t consistently make free throws. His shooting form isn?t not good. I hope Tatum gives him Drew Hanlens number.

Because his form isn't bad, his rookie year was a respectable 36%, he's only 19, and he projects to be more of a slasher/energy guy/defender than a shooter and he does those things at a really good level already.

I've always thought of him in the mold of Josh Hart, Alex Caruso, Christian Braun type player, and I think he can be equally as effective outside as those guys.

The 36% is a very small sample size as he was attempting 1.6 threes per game and they were almost all corner 3s. I mean, he can?t consistently make free throws.

I like everything else he does, but the guys you mentioned above are much better shooters.

Caruso averaged 30% his rookie season on 1.2 attempts per game. Heck, last year he was below 30% on 3 attempts per game.

Braun was 30% last year on 3 attempts per game.

Hugo averaged 80% from the line in 76 Euro-league games.

Sure, but those guys were not out there bricking free throws. If you can?t make FTs consistently you are a poor shooter.

Did you read his last sentence?

That?s great, but he can?t make them in the league that he is currently playing in.

[Who]

Hugo averaged 80% from the line in 76 Euro-league games.

I was wondering how many FTAs he took in Europe given how few he managed to get here in Boston. I struggled to find them last time I looked because the moved the international stats button on bref.com but I know where it is now (bottom of page).

Hugo was only 13-26 FTs last season 1,084 minutes in the NBA. 0.9 FTA per 36min. Shockingly low volume. Or 26 FTs against 246 FGAs for just over 10% FTr (10.6% to be exact).

So what was his volume like in Spain?

In Europe - Spanish league & Euroleague - Hugo took 78 FTAs and hit 62 of them in 76 games. So 1 FTA a game.

That was 717 minutes. He did not play much except for his final season. He got 56 of his 76 games and 627 / 717 minutes that final season. 45/60 on FTs on the season for 75%. So 60 FTs in 630min is roughly a FT every 10min. About 3.5 FTA per 36min.

Hugo only played 8mpg Euroleague and 14mpg Spanish league so that 3.5 FTA per 36min was closer to 1 FTA per game (1.07 FTA per game).

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Combined, FTA wise Hugo is 13-26 NBA and 62-78 Europe for 75-104 FTs. Still around that 75% mark.

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I was trying to get an idea of volume. Still not great volume. Not a great sample size.

His NBA sample size is almost nothing. 26 FTAs at 50%. I wouldn't much stock in that. More worried about how little he is getting to the line than how he is shooting when he is there.

His Europe sample size is fairly small too. Only 78 FTs at 80%. Not much. More confidence in that since it is triple the sample size but it is still a small sample. Especially with 15% of that total coming in first 2 years when he barely played. More confidence in the 75% number he had in his season of getting consistent playing time. I would bet that is the number that proves most true over time (of where his FT% is today).

[Who]

One thing about Hugo that I was noticing in his SL play a year ago was that he was a much better shooter from a stand still shot than shooting off of movement. He doesn't get his feet set up right and/or square up properly to the rim on quicker catch and shoot opportunities or off the dribble shooting opportunities. That is harming his percentages. So he has more upside as a spot up stand still shot-maker than his overall percentages showed.

I think the 36% in NBA 3PT shows some of that. If he is selective in his shot-taking, he can be adequate. Now is to improve his footwork on those other shots he needs to learn to take because he needs too much time and space to get off many attempts. Then those percentages will pick up some and his overall volume of threes taken will improve too.

That is where I want to see the improvement. Footwork. Getting squared up properly to the basket before shooting. Not taking dumb shots where he isn't squared up to the basket -- which he largely did in the NBA but not in SL (last year).