Hauser, Mykhailiuk can turn shooting into offensive connection for Celtics

BRIGHTON, MA – With the depth-sacrificing strikes they made this summer season, the Boston Celtics has put a whole lot of strain on their remaining position gamers. Guys like Sam Hauser, Payton Pritchard, and Luke Kornet must step up, whereas new signees Oshae Brissett, Lamar Stevens, and Svi Mykhailiuk could possibly be thrust into bigger roles.

The entire supplementary items Boston employs have very particular jobs on the court docket. Pritchard is a backup ball-handler and shot creator, Kornet is a top quality large who understands the trivia of Boston’s system, and Brissett and Stevens are athletic defenders. After which there’s Hauser and Mykhailiuk.

Hauser stepped into an every-night rotation position for the Celtics final yr, whereas Mykhailiuk loved some end-of-season success with the Charlotte Hornets. Each earned minutes largely due to their three-point pictures.

All through the preseason so far, Mykhailiuk has been impressive, and Hauser finally found his shot after struggling within the first two video games. However each have been doing greater than taking pictures. They’ve been driving closeouts and organising teammates after drawing the eye of the protection, appearing as connectors inside the Celtics’ offense.

“The primary factor we train these guys is, ‘Did you place two on the ball?’ They usually have to have the ability to put two on the ball with the catch and with the shot,” head coach Joe Mazzulla advised me after Saturday’s observe.

Photograph by Sarah Stier/Getty Photos

Hauser earned some run with a few of the Celtics’ core gamers in Boston’s third preseason sport towards the Philadelphia 76ers. His shot wasn’t falling early within the sport, however defenders nonetheless flocked to him on the three-point line.

He was in a position to get previous them, hold the ball transferring, and create offense with out making a shot — a ability he not often obtained to point out off final season.

“Groups are clearly going to protect them by attempting to run them off the road, they usually have to have the ability to make that subsequent layer of the learn. As soon as two are on the ball, is it drive to shut out? Is it an over-the-top move? Is it a bounce move? Simply make the correct learn,” Mazzulla defined.

“So, it’s form of extra a layer, like in the event that they take the three away, right here’s how they did it, right here’s why they did it, and now you bought to search out the subsequent resolution.”

He picked up three assists towards the 76ers, a mark he solely reached 5 occasions in 80 video games for the Celtics final yr.

As for Mykhailiuk, he has regarded rather more comfy with the ball in his arms all through the preseason. His ball-handling and playmaking have shined hand-in-hand together with his knockdown three-point expertise.

That stated, he’s primarily been enjoying with bench guys.

“I really feel like simply studying the sport and what the protection offers you,” Mykhailiuk advised me after observe on Friday. “However, yeah, it is dependent upon who you’re on the court docket with.”

Whereas enjoying alongside the likes of Pritchard, Stevens, Brissett, and Kornet, Mykhailiuk has naturally had extra alternatives to place the ball on the ground and make a play.

However as soon as the common season begins, ought to he crack the rotation, he could be paired up with Boston’s stars, most of whom are ball-dominant, score-first gamers. In these conditions, discovering a steadiness between when to shoot and when to make a play turns into all of the extra essential.

“Often, if you end up with the fellows would break the defender down fairly simply, or the celebs, it’s most likely once I get the ball, it’s extra possibilities than not that I’ll be open,” stated Mykhailiuk. “So, in these possibilities, I’ll most likely must shoot each time.”

As Hauser and Mykhailiuk proceed to advance via the preseason, keep watch over their development as connectors. Three-point taking pictures is essential, however with the ability to leverage the spacing they create into higher pictures might drastically enhance Boston’s offense much more.