Sam Hauser’s brutal shooting performance against the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night has people forgetting how much he had been turning things around. He shot 0-of-9 from beyond the arc and 0-of-10 overall, and his one two-point miss was a scuffed layup that came right after he missed two threes. All three failed attempts came in the Celtics’ disastrous third quarter.
However, just because Hauser had a rough game—and that phrase may be an understatement—doesn’t mean his value to the team has been erased. He’s been an integral part of Boston’s rotation for three years now, and he’s still one of the best three-point shooters in the NBA.
One game doesn’t change that.
Sam Hauser is going to be just fine
As a team, Boston shot 3-of-26 from beyond the arc in the second half on Thursday night. The entire team had a brutal showing, and they blew a lead to the Giannis Antetokounmpo-less Bucks.
Hauser’s poor shooting was a huge contributing factor to the Celtics’ woes from deep range. But before the loss in Milwaukee, he had been turning things around in a big way.
Through Hauser’s first 14 appearances of the season, Hauser shot just 32.9% from deep on 6.1 attempts per game. It was a brutal stretch, but he bounced back.
Heading into Thursday night against the Bucks, Hauser had shot 41.8% from behind the arc on 5.5 three-point attempts per contest in his last 10 games. He was getting back to the same Hauser he’s always been.
But that’s not the only stat that should have fans optimistic about what’s to come for Hauser as far as his shooting goes.
So far this season, Hauser has appeared in 25 games for Boston. He has shot 34.2% on 6.0 three-point attempts per game. It’s been a step down from what he’s shot in years past. Or has it…?
Last year, through the first 25 appearances Hauser made, he shot 36.2% from long range on 5.5 three-point attempts. By the time the season wrapped up, he had climbed all the way up to 41.6% on 5.6 threes per game.
He’s on almost the exact same pace he was last year through 25 games. Plus, if you erase his 0-of-9 showing against the Bucks, he would be shooting 36.2%. (Does that number look familar?)
Hauser has been a 40% three-point shooter in every year of his NBA and college career. A slow start to the season doesn’t change how lethal he is from long range, and one game against the Bucks certainly doesn’t change it, either.