Celtics player who must have a good preseason to solidify rotation spot

Joe Mazzulla and the Boston Celtics look significantly different from what they were after their Eastern Conference Finals exit. The core got shaken up and it seems like Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum are the only untouchable players in their current roster. Additions like Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, Svi Mykhailiuk, Oshae Brissett, and Dalano Banton among others are going to play huge minutes for the team. This may mean that someone between Luke Kornet and Sam Hauser will have to try harder during the NBA Preseason to earn a spot in the rotation.

Sam Hauser and getting his way into the Celtics' rotation

Wing depth is one thing that the Celtics boast in their system. More than having Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, Joe Mazzulla has other options to utilize for that area of the court. Oshae Brissett, Lamar Stevens, and Jordan Walsh are just some of the next men up if one of Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown experiences fatigue. All of them share a common trait of being ruthless players who will hound opponents on defense but also light it up on offense.

Sam Hauser might have a hard time cracking the rotation because of the amount of competition he has. He took a big leap in overall production last year but it remains a question whether that would be enough. Hauser only notched 2.5 points in his first season with the Celtics. There was an improvement all the way to 6.4 points per game last season. But, this may fall short. This is given that he only knocked down 45.5% of his shots from all three levels of scoring.

Hauser's three-point shot was his key contribution. He attempted 4.1 shots from beyond the three-point arc and drilled 41.8% of them. The addition of Kristaps Porzingis, and Svi Mykhailiuk could mean that those touches get less over time. He has to improve on knocking down his shots with fewer attempts more frequently.

His rebounding is also not too outstanding for it to be given an exception. He only grabbed 2.6 boards per game last season which had minimal impact. The potential to be a double-double machine is still there for Hauser but giving him more minutes would mean Jordan Walsh gets less development on the floor.

Sam Hauser in the NBA Preseason so far

Joe Mazzulla gave Hauser 25 minutes in their matchup against the New York Knicks. Throughout the match, he has proven that he can be a reliable person when crashing the boards. He got eight rebounds and set solid screens such that his teammates could score.

His shooting was also fairly decent. But, he was never really known to be a volume scorer within the Celtics system. He notched six points and a single assist to round out his performance.

Hauser also got to play 23 minutes against the Philadelphia 76ers. But, he was not able to maximize his time on the floor. An assist and three rebounds were all he had to show in that NBA Preseason showdown.

A lot of his impact does not show up on the stat sheet but they are going to need a lot of contributions in their search for an 18th banner. Individuals like Walsh, Banton, Kornet, and Porzingis can have the same level of impact but also remain as potent weapons on offense. Will he be able to make the cut despite all of these?