Cease me when you’ve heard this earlier than: it’s going to be a transition season for the Celtics. Jayson Tatum is on ice, a number of starters from the championship staff have left, and this upcoming yr has the texture of half tryout, half NBA season for Boston.
Everybody on the staff will compete for the fitting to take part within the subsequent iteration of a contending Celtics staff. Sharpshooting ahead Sam Hauser falls squarely on that bubble.
The 27-year-old’s contribution off the bench was essential to hanging a banner in 2024. Maybe no participant exemplified Joe Mazzulla’s offensive philosophy greater than Hauser, who by no means met a three-point shot he didn’t like. His worth as a high-volume motion shooter who produces elite outcomes netted him a four-year, $45 million extension with the membership.
But it surely was a down season in lots of respects for Sam final yr (extra on that quickly), and now he heads into an precise inflection level, not just for the Celtics, however for Hauser himself.
Once I first wrote about Hauser in 2023, he was as pure a specialist as you could find — shoot ball, ask questions later. His skills as a shooter had been past reproach, however he wanted to make features elsewhere to develop into greater than a one-trick pony. Through the championship yr, Hauser improved his shot choice and match within the offensive circulation whereas taking strides as a defender.
Hauser’s specialist expertise plodded on as regular final yr. For the third season in a row, Hauser had a 98th percentile three-point fee whereas making not less than 42% of his threes. Nothing may impede his capturing prowess. However he did take noticeable steps backward on movie as a defender, particularly in off-ball conditions.
Hauser made a frequent behavior of dropping cutters, making unhealthy closeouts, and switching poorly. It had a profound impact on Boston’s protection when he was on the ground. In fact, personnel adjustments and lineups can have an effect on on/off stats, however the outcomes are staggering. In 2023/24, Boston’s protection was 2.8 factors per 100 possessions higher with Hauser on the ground. In 2024/25, they had been 3.4 factors per 100 worse.
It’s important to spotlight that he nonetheless placed on some good on-ball tape. When engaged on the perimeter, Hauser did properly at transferring in brief areas and leveraging his dimension to make life tough for ballhandlers. His robust aspect rim denial on drives stood out particularly.
Nonetheless, regressing on protection is tough to beat. Hauser went from a +1.1 EPM participant to a dead-even 0.0; his web score dropped from +5.6 to +0.1. This got here residence to roost within the playoffs.
Let’s take a look at the playoff utilization. Through the title run, Hauser performed in all 19 playoff contests, averaging roughly quarter-hour per sport. He performed 13 minutes per sport within the first 4 video games in opposition to the Magic within the first spherical earlier than getting heavy run in a blowout Sport 5. Then he performed solely 4 minutes in Sport 1 in opposition to the Knicks, and didn’t see the ground once more till Sport 5, after Jayson Tatum was injured.
A few of that is context: the Celtics wanted offensive firepower in opposition to an Orlando staff that was spiritually from the Eighties, and a coherent protection in opposition to a deep and expert New York staff. Nonetheless, it does point out a decline in belief. Now greater than ever, Boston wants stability on the ahead spots. Can they rely on Hauser to supply that?
I’m a pleasant man, I’d prefer to suppose. I hope readers right here, who’re unfamiliar with my work, will come to really feel the identical method. So within the spirit of kindness, let’s indulge ourselves in some Shootin’ Sam highlights earlier than I get to the crucial factors.
As you may see above, there are a variety of methods to get him concerned apart from “stand there and shoot it.” Lifts, pindowns, and elevators are designed seems to be they use typically to spring him. He’s adept at relocating across the offense to create alternatives. With out Jayson Tatum, it stands to motive to imagine Hauser will demand extra utilization as they try and recreate an All-NBA participant within the combination.
A few of that may come as a screener. I loved the units Mazzulla deployed final yr utilizing Hauser as a cog in ghost screens, pick-and-pops, and layered Spain pick-and-roll actions.
I’d prefer to see extra on-ball reps as properly. Hauser, as a pace dribble handoff or guard-wing PNR possibility, carries some intrigue, because it did in flashes final season.
However these are shorter-term considerations for Boston. If Hauser can scale up offensively whereas sustaining elite capturing outcomes, that may very well be a game-changer for Boston throughout this yr. However his future with the staff shall be determined defensively.
If he can get again to his 2023/24 normal of not being the worst defender on the ground whereas contributing offensively, he reaffirms his place as a future a part of the staff. If he continues to wrestle or regresses additional, his spot on the 2026/27 staff will get jeopardized. It’s distinctly attainable that Hauser may very well be higher than final yr and discover himself shipped out on the deadline or within the offseason.
Making a hair over $10 million within the first yr of his extension, he’s a invaluable commerce chip as a sub-MLE priced specialist with worth to any staff. Boston might prioritize cap area within the 2026 offseason and discover the three years and $35 million remaining on a mean position participant’s deal to be lower than preferrred.
No participant is secure from the extraordinary scrutiny the Celtics will apply internally. Nonetheless, a few of their gamers may replicate their manufacturing from final yr and, indubitably, stay to see the subsequent Tatum-centric iteration of the staff. Hauser isn’t a type of guys. Regardless of Sam’s contributions, he’s one of many gamers who will face this crossroads.
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