For the primary time since Jayson Tatum’s rookie season, the Boston Celtics discover themselves as one of many prime three-point taking pictures groups within the NBA. They at present rank second in three-point proportion (39.7%) whereas concurrently sitting atop the league in makes an attempt per sport (41.3%).
The apparent distinction now from Tatum’s rookie yr is that as a substitute of being a job participant displaying heaps of potential, he’s now the co-star of a championship-caliber crew. Tatum and Jaylen Brown are the celebrities of the present, and Boston has been constructing round them for the higher a part of the final three years.
All through that point, they’ve assembled top-notch defenders, star level guards, and loads of different supporting round Tatum and Brown in an try to assist them win. However the one factor the Celtics by no means managed to land was a shooter.
Grant Williams matches the invoice, however he solely emerged as a three-point risk final yr. Al Horford has performed properly lately, however his position extends far past that of only a shooter. From Semi Ojeleye to Aaron Nesmith, Boston has tried so as to add taking pictures round their stars, however to no avail.
Not till Samuel David Hauser.
Boston picked up Hauser after the 2021 NBA Draft as an undrafted free agent. He didn’t get a lot enjoying time his rookie season. However regardless of that, his teammates have been overtly assured in him heading into the season.
Throughout an appearance on The Long Shot with Duncan Robinson and Davis Reid, Williams was requested about who he would soak up a taking pictures competitors: himself or Robinson. After his preliminary reply, Williams rapidly shifted his consideration to Hauser.
“If he ever cracks our rotation, as a result of he has a gauntlet forward of him proper now, this man, in case you see him shoot, it’s completely absurd,” Williams mentioned. “I don’t know who I might soak up a taking pictures competitors moreover Sam Hauser. Sam can spray it.”
To date this season, Hauser has lived as much as Williams’ reward. He’s averaging 7.7 factors, 2.5 rebounds, and 0.7 assists on 52.0% taking pictures from the sector and 48.9% taking pictures from distance.
Since Tatum and Brown have been on the crew collectively, solely 4 gamers have shot 40% or higher for Boston for a whole season (min. 50 GP, 15 MPG). Two of these gamers have been Kyrie Irving within the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons, one other was Al Horford in 2017-18, and the ultimate was Williams final yr.
Clearly, Williams is a job participant, however Irving and Horford have been co-stars on the Celtics. And Williams isn’t only a shooter. He’s considered one of Boston’s prime defenders — he guarded Giannis Antetokounmpo for almost all of a playoff collection, and the crew trusts him to tackle virtually any defensive matchup in entrance of him.
However not Hauser. Hauser is totally on the court docket to shoot the ball.
Head coach Joe Mazzulla mentioned as a lot after Boston’s November 9 win over the Detroit Pistons when Hauser had simply put up a career-high 24 factors on 6-of-12 taking pictures from deep. Mazzulla was requested what Hauser did to earn the belief he has throughout the rotation. He kept his answer simple – “not miss.”
Over the course of the season, Hauser has slowly turn into an integral a part of Mazzulla’s rotation. He did not crack quarter-hour in any of the crew’s first 5 video games, together with two the place he didn’t even play 10 minutes. Since then, he’s performed over 10 minutes in each sport, over quarter-hour in 12, and over 20 minutes in 9.
Having somebody who can shoot the ball in addition to Hauser is a luxurious that groups are determined for. Simply take a look at Robinson’s prime two years with the Miami Heat (and Max Strus now). There’s Seth Curry with the Brooklyn Nets, Luke Kennard with the LA Clippers, and Kevin Huerter with the Sacramento Kings. Three-point taking pictures comes at a premium within the NBA, and the Celtics managed to establish an elite shooter within the undrafted free company pool.
However the affect Hauser brings to the court docket stretches past the variety of makes. His mere capability to make the shot is sufficient to fully remodel the Celtics’ offense. Hauser has a gravity that sucks defenders out of the paint and opens issues up for Boston.
Simply take a look at this play. It’s small, however Hauser’s affect can’t be ignored. Malcolm Brogdon drives the ball as Hauser shifts from underneath the basket into the nook, forcing Dorian Finney-Smith to comply with him. In flip, Dwight Powell has to rotate over, Brogdon passes the ball to the open man within the nook (Horford), and from there, the ball zips from open man to open man till Brown will get a stable take a look at the rim.
Hauser received’t get any credit score within the field rating. He doesn’t get a display help, a hockey help, or the rest of that nature, however his affect is obvious as day. Finney-Smith respects him as a shooter sufficient to chase him into the nook. The Dallas Mavericks respect him an excessive amount of to depart him open from that spot. And that alone is sufficient to generate ample alternatives for the Celtics.
To place Hauser’s affect into better perspective, simply take a look at his plus/minus. When he’s been on the court docket this season, the Celtics have outscored opponents by 138 factors. That ranks fourth within the NBA behind solely Stephen Curry, Nikola Jokic, and Mikal Bridges – two MVPs and final yr’s runner-up for Defensive Participant of the 12 months.
Sure, plus/minus is completely flawed. Hauser typically shares the court docket with famous person abilities like Tatum and Brown in addition to top-notch facilitators comparable to Marcus Sensible, Derrick White, and Brogdon. However regardless, the quantity Boston has crushed opponents in comparison with the variety of minutes Hauser has performed is staggering.
The Celtics have crushed their opponents by 138 factors whereas Hauser has been on the ground this yr, however he’s solely logged 339.5 minutes. In the meantime, the one three gamers above him within the rankings have performed 656.3 (Curry), 516.1 (Jokic), and 705.5 (Bridges). The subsequent participant down the checklist with the identical or fewer minutes performed than Hauser is Kevin Love (331.4 minutes), who holds a plus/minus of +97 – 39 factors lower than Hauser.
Boston is an elite three-point taking pictures crew this season. There are 5 different gamers on the roster taking pictures above 40% from deep, all enjoying common rotation minutes, however most play different roles. Brogdon and White are initiators, Williams and Horford are defensive leaders, and Pritchard is a ball-handler and spark plug.
However Hauser is on the market to shoot. The Celtics haven’t had any individual like that on the roster in a very long time, and up to now, it’s made a world of a distinction.