Celtics Veteran Flourishing In New Role After Early-Season Slump
After losing multiple star players over the summer and Jayson Tatum to an Achilles injury, the Boston Celtics have asked everyone else on their roster to step up this season, from Jaylen Brown and Derrick White to Payton Pritchard, Neemias Queta and Jordan Walsh.
Most of those players have thrived in their new roles, helping the Celtics go 27-16 and take the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. Brown is playing at an MVP level, while many of his teammates are enjoying career years.
One player who hasn’t is Sam Hauser, who struggled to adjust to his new role this year.
After emerging as one of Boston’s most reliable sharpshooters over the last few years, Hauser started this season in a massive shooting slump. Through the end of December, he was averaging just 7.2 points per game while shooting 36.6 percent from the floor and 36.7 percent from deep — well below his career averages.
Hauser was mostly coming off the bench, as he had in previous seasons. Joe Mazzulla moved him into the starting lineup in early January, however, and it’s paid huge dividends.
The 28-year-old has caught fire over the last few weeks, shooting 52.1 percent from the field and 48.2 percent from downtown while averaging 14.5 points and 28 minutes per game.
He’s given the Celtics a big spark, helping them go 7-3 in his 10 games this month. They tend to play better when he’s shooting well, going 13-3 this season in games where he’s made at least three 3-pointers.
“It opens everything up for us,” Neemias Queta said after Wednesday’s 119-104 home win over the Indiana Pacers. “It’s really big for guys like me, big fellas that can go up there and need space in the paint. Just having his presence out there is huge for us.”
Hauser will look to continue his hot shooting on Friday against the Brooklyn Nets.