Getty Boston Celtics roster in a team huddle
We might only be in pre-season, but the Boston Celtics are already finding their groove, despite losing to the Toronto Raptors on October 5.
Throughout their first two preseason games, we’ve seen the Celtics commit to pushing the tempo, making the extra pass, and honing in on the defensive end. But, in an interesting change of pace, we’ve also seen the coaching staff commit to giving some of the younger talent opportunities to shine – with Sam Hauser grasping the chance with both hands.
When speaking to the post-game media on October 5, Jayson Tatum took a moment to note how Hauser’s shooting has been a significant boost for the Celtics, yet, he also mentioned how the sharpshooter doesn’t face significant defensive pressure due to the team’s star players also being on the floor.
” I tell him all the time if I was that wide open – if people left me that wide open, and all I had to do was catch and shoot, I would make a lot more shots as well. I tell Sam he should send me a thank you card for being on the floor together. But, Sam is a great shooter, and his game has come a long way. I’m happy for him, I’m happy he’s getting an opportunity and that he’s making the most of it,” Tatum said.
Hauser was impressive against the Raptors, converting his perimeter shots at an 80% clip while averaging 22 points, four rebounds, and two assists in 26 minutes of gameplay.
Celtics Insider Expects Hauser to be a Wild Card
According to NBC Sports Boston’s Chris Forsberg, Hauser is certainly the biggest wildcard on the Celtics roster at present, and he believes the sophomore forward is more than capable of surprising a few people should he continue to get the opportunity.
Can Sam Hauser make a legitimate impact this season? His teammates apparently believe so…
@ChrisForsberg_ discusses Hauser’s role and much more in his latest Celtics Mailbag 📬
“When we sat down with all the Celtics players last week for Media Day we did an informal poll about the player who would surprise us most this season. The most common response: Hauser…When Danilo Gallinari suffered the ACL tear that could sideline him the entire season, the spotlight shifted immediately to Hauser, who could get the first crack at filling those minutes. Hauser doesn’t have the post game of a Gallinari, nor the size to joust with 5s. But he can clearly shoot the ball and should get a whole bunch of good looks given the talent he’ll be running with,” Forsberg wrote.
If Hauser has improved his defensive game and can prove to be an efficient contributor on that side of the floor, he may get his chance to impress during the regular season – but first, Hauser needs to keep knocking down shots in the remaining two pre-season games.
Mazzulla Believes Hauser Can Earn a Rotation Spot
Joe Mazzulla has been with the Celtics roster for the past three years, so he knows what his players can do, but now, with Mazzulla being in the position of head coach, he’s going to have some tough decisions to make when it comes to his regular-season rotation.
However, when speaking to NBC Sports Boston’s Abby Chin, following the Celtics’ October 5 loss to Toronto, the head coach noted how Hauser is currently putting himself in a great position to earn a regular spot in the team’s rotation.
“I think Sam’s a really hard worker, and he naturally has confidence. He does a great job of playing off other people and making the right play when necessary. I think he definitely has a role for us, I thought that was the great thing about tonight because we saw five guys that were competing who can help us, and Sam falls into that category,” Mazzulla said.
Boston’s next game is against the Charlotte Hornets on October 6, so, it will be interesting to see how both teams line-up and who impresses throughout the contest.