Make no mistake about it: Sam Hauser is more than just a shooter.
Nearly every time Joe Mazzulla is asked about Hauser, the conversation turns to his defense. That was the case again after Wednesday night’s 119–104 win over the Pacers, when Mazzulla discussed Hauser’s fit in the starting lineup.
“I think our defense has gotten better. I think our offensive execution has gotten better. Sam’s ability to continue to play two-way basketball, his ability to defend at a high level, and then it obviously just allows us to spread the floor and play a little bit offensively,” he said. “We have to be able to go to a bunch of different lineups, but that one’s just playing well so far.”
And it’s not empty praise. Hauser has grown into a legitimately strong defender. He’d be the first to admit that most nights he isn’t the most athletic player on the floor, but he makes up for it with positioning, intelligence, discipline, and preparation — efforts that haven’t gone unnoticed by his coaches and teammates.
“Our offense speaks for itself right now. But I feel like the main thing with him is just the ability to stay impactful on the other side of the floor,” said Neemias Queta. “Knowing tendencies, being able to guard multiple guys. Just being really, really solid on that end.”
The praise for Hauser’s defense has been well-earned, and it has been consistent all season.
What’s changed recently is that his shooting, the skill he’s most prominently known for, has returned to its usual level. As January has unfolded, Hauser has put together one of the best stretches of his career, pairing elite floor spacing with dependable defense and making a consistent impact on both ends of the floor.
Through his first 26 games of the season, Hauser — who has never shot below 40% from three in college, the G-League, or the pros — made just 51 of 150 attempts (34.0%). Since then, over his last 123 attempts from deep, he’s made 59 (48.0%). Of the 23 players who have made at least 50 threes over that span, Hauser’s 48.0% mark leads the NBA.
January has been an especially dominant stretch for Hauser. He has made multiple threes in each of the 10 games since the turn of the calendar, shooting 41-of-85 (48.2%) from deep. He and Trey Murphy III (42) are the only players to make at least 40 three-pointers this month.
Hauser is averaging 14.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game, which is a significant jump from his pre-January numbers of 7.2 points per game while shooting 36.6% from the field and 36.7% from three. He’s scored at least 16 points in four straight games and five of his last six.
“It’s not just the shot making,” Mazzulla said. “It’s the ability to make two-on-ones and be able to get defenders to overreact and find where he is and not leave his body. And so the shooting is important, but so is the screening and the spacing, which helps him, but it also helps the team.”
When Hauser is rolling offensively, it gives the Celtics a different look. With Wednesday night’s win, the Celtics are 13-3 this season when Hauser makes at least three three-pointers. And the more he makes, the better they are. They are 9-3 when he makes 4+ and 7-1 when he makes 5+. All-time (including playoffs), the Celtics are 85-15 when he makes 3+ threes, 52-7 when he makes 4+, and 29-3 when he makes 5+.
“That’s a great sign for our team. When Sam is shooting those shots and not hitting nothing but the bottom of the net, that’s a great sign for our team,” Jaylen Brown said. “So just finding him, looking for him more, and then living with the makes or the misses, because the analytics are in our favor when Sam is getting open looks.”
The spacing Hauser generates creates advantages, opens lanes, and opportunities for his teammates. With defenders stretched thin, the Celtics’ scorers can get to their spots more easily, making the offense flow more smoothly and efficiently.
“It opens everything up for us,” said Queta. “When you got a guy like that, you’ve got to hug up to the perimeter. You don’t want to lose him and give him a three-pointer, otherwise it’s money. It’s something really big for guys like me, big fellas that can go up there and need space in the paint. Just having his presence out there is huge for us.”
Hauser may not always get full credit for the little things he does extremely well. But he is a complete NBA player, and this recent stretch has highlighted just how valuable he is, and it may very well be the best basketball he has played in a Celtics uniform.
“Sam has been great. Sam has developed as a basketball player,” Brown said. “So we’ve just got to keep encouraging that.”
Related
