Much was made of Sam Hauser’s potential this offseason, particularly as it pertained to him cracking the Celtics rotation. He was dubbed a marksman; Boston’s answer to Duncan Robinson; the would-be knockdown savior this team could turn to when Tatum, Brown, & Co. would undoubtedly find themselves swarmed by opposing defenses.
“Sam is obviously a great shooter, and his game has come a long way,” Jayson Tatum said in early October amidst Hauser’s extended heater from three this preseason. “I’m happy for him. I’m happy he’s getting these opportunities, and he’s obviously making the most out of it, and we’re going to need him. He’s going to play a role for the team this year.”
It was all quite exciting to ponder. Perhaps too exciting.
All of the chatter felt like exactly that — chatter — once Hauser began the 2022-23 season by playing just three minutes in the opener against Philadelphia, committing one foul and attempting no shots. He then played 11 minutes against Miami, a welcome sight, scoring six points on two triples. But then, he followed that up with a seven-minute outing against the Magic, and though he scored nine points (again, all on shots from beyond the arc), he was competing for minutes with Payton Pritchard. You’d have been forgiven if you found yourself wondering aloud, “what gives?”
If Hauser’s three most recent returns are any indication, those worries can be considered moot. He has logged three consecutive double-digit-minute games, seeing increased time in each respective outing. Against the Bulls on Monday, he played 11 minutes, scoring four points, grabbing two rebounds, and dishing out a single assist. A few days later, in Boston’s loss at the hands of the Cavaliers, he managed one additional minute — for a grand total of 12 — and scored five. Finally came Sunday, when the Celtics rebounded from their two-game losing streak by trouncing the Washington Wizards, 112-91. On paper, Hauser might not have looked like a huge part of it. In reality, though, it was easily his best outing of the season, particularly because it was his most impactful.
Hauser saw a career-high 23 minutes of action, matched his season high in points (nine) and shots made (three, fittingly all from three), and set a new season high in shot attempts (five). He was more involved in Boston’s scheme than he had been to this point in the young 2022-23 campaign; at long last, Hauser looked like the off-the-bench spark…
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