The Boston Celtics are built on threes. Fans may not love it, and the NBA media may have issues with it, but that’s the reality of the situation. It works for Boston, so they aren’t going to change their ways anytime soon. And most of the time, Sam Hauser can be a barometer for the team’s success from beyond the arc.
Hauser was one of the best three-point shooters in the league last year, and it was a big reason why the Celtics were able to win an NBA Championship. When Hauser is having a good shooting night, it usually means that the Celtics are having a good shooting night.
They need Hauser.
Sam Hauser's threes are an indicator of Celtics success
Early in the season, Hauser missed some time due to a back injury. And he stated that it’s the type of issue that could linger.
“It’s just something that’s kind of flared up,” Hauser said. “Kind of dealt with it on and off throughout the summer and preseason. So, just try to manage it as best I can and go from there.”
Throughout the year, it seems as though the ailment has hindered Hauser’s ability to compete on both ends of the floor. Last year, Hauser only had seven games where he made zero threes. This year, he’s already at six.
Add in some of his unusual defensive struggles, and it seems like the back issue has affected him this year. But the Celtics need him to get healthy and break out of his early-season slump because his success directly correlates to their success.
Through his first 16 games of the season, Hauser shot 34.1% from three on 5.7 attempts per game. Since then, he's shot 42.1% on 5.4 attempts per game.
At first, one may think Hauser’s efficiency is what determines if the Celtics play well or not, but it’s actually much simpler than that.
When Hauser takes more threes, the Celtics win. When he takes fewer threes, they lose. If Boston is generating quality three-point looks for Hauser, it means that their offense is flowing nicely.
So far this season, the Celtics are 14-1 when Hauser attempts seven or more threes in a game. That means when he attempts fewer than seven threes, they are 13-9.
This doesn’t mean that the Celtics should force-feed Hauser threes. It just shows that if Hauser is getting good three-point looks, the Celtics’ offense is probably flowing well. He is an indicator of how well their offense is working.
The more Hauser can continue to snap out of his slump, the better because Boston is better when he’s getting more three-point attempts.