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To start the Boston Celtics' 2023-24 season, nobody was talking about forward Sam Hauser. It's not hard to understand why given Boston's exceptionally busy offseason. The C's traded major players like Marcus Smart, acquired All-Stars in Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, and gave Jaylen Brown the richest contract in NBA history. When it came to Hauser, there just weren't many storylines to follow up on.
However, with Boston standing tall at 10-2 12 games into its campaign for Banner No. 18, Hauser has shown why he shouldn't be overlooked. So, let's get into why the sharp-shooter has been the Celtics' most pleasant surprise early in the 2023-24 NBA season.
Sam Hauser has been more than reliable
Hauser had a fantastic high school and college basketball career, but he had to fight his way into the Association.
The Wisconsin native went undrafted in 2021 and split time with Boston's G League affiliate in Maine for the first few months of his debut season. He then worked his way up to a regular NBA contract in February of 2022 and received a three-year, $6 million deal that very summer.
While the Celtics hoped for first-round draft picks like Romeo Langford and Aaron Nesmith to develop into shooters who could surround Brown and Jayson Tatum, the undrafted Hauser has instead filled that role. And to start the 2023-24 campaign, he's excelled at his job.
Hauser has averaged 21.1 minutes per game and recorded a career-high 9.6 points per outing. Of course, it's still early in the season and those numbers might dip, yet he's been a bright spot in the Celtics' talented offense.
Head coach Joe Mazzulla often prioritizes the deep ball, and Hauser has delivered from beyond the arc. Through 12 games, he's shooting an impressive 45.2% from 3-point land and 48.8% from the field. Overall, he's converted on 33 out of his 73 triples, giving him a better percentage right now than stars like Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry and Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray.
What's more, out of the 22 players who currently have better 3-point percentages than Hauser, only two have more attempts from deep than him. So, besides New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson and Brooklyn Nets shooter Dorian Finney-Smith, nobody has been as lethal from downtown this season.
Percentages aside, Hauser has been the player Boston has needed. He's scored in double-digits in seven out of his 12 games and even started in a pinch during a short-handed win over the Philadelphia 76ers. The Celtics enjoy having multiple stars in their starting lineup, but it still helps to have production from role players like Hauser when Tatum, Brown, or others are off.
Hauser has made defensive improvements
No one can deny that Hauser's bread and butter is shooting. Yet a common issue for pure shooters is that opposing teams usually figure they can attack them on the other end of the floor.
The term “Hauser hunting” was eventually coined by Celtics broadcasts, as opponents would single out the 25-year-old and attempt to take advantage of his defense. This season, though, Hauser has stood his ground and looked closer to a two-way player rather than a defensive liability.
Sam Hauser is very underrated. Cohesive player who bridges the starters vs bench gap.#DifferentHere pic.twitter.com/MTbHQORpyG
— mr.perfect 🍀 (@emswym) November 12, 2023
Mazzulla himself even applauded Hauser for his defensive improvements. Following a 114-98 win over the New York Knicks, Mazzulla claimed that Hauser was no longer the “hunted,” per Celtics CLNS reporter Josue Pavón.
“He’s a much better defender than people think,” Mazzulla said. “His technique and his ability to know tendencies, I feel just as comfortable with him guarding as anyone else.”
While we're only a little over 10% through the regular season, Hauser has made strides in his game that could cement his spot in the Celtics' top seven or eight. Hopefully, he'll be able to keep up his hot start and continue to develop into the role player a star-studded team like Boston needs.
