Sam Hauser could join the Boston Celtics' starting and closing lineups this season. As far as who Joe Mazzulla deploys at tip-off, that may change based on the matchup. Some nights, concerns about being undersized could have Hauser coming off the bench. Even then, he could prove too valuable to leave off the floor with the game on the line.
Independent of whether he's in the first unit or the second, like the rest of the roster, the six-foot-eight sharpshooter will take on an increased role this season. He has shot over 40 percent from beyond the arc each year of his career. Since his rookie campaign in 2021-22, when he appeared in just 26 tilts, Hauser has achieved that accuracy while launching threes at a high volume.
While that part of his game represents a known commodity, three areas in particular will be interesting to track this season. Presenting these in an unranked format, let's start with the defensive end of the floor.
Hauser is an underrated and quality on-ball defender. He is often the target of switches, with players seeing an opportunity to "get into their bag." However, that usually backfires. A common outcome in those instances is a missed mid-range fadeaway with the 27-year-old from Wisconsin staying in front and then contesting a shot that's off the mark.
The four-year veteran isn't just more mobile than he tends to get credit for. He's also stronger, defending with his chest out to absorb contact and keep his assignment in front of him without fouling.
That part of his game took the most significant hit while Hauser dealt with lower back pain that would flare up on him last season. Even when he put that in the rearview, he didn't defend at the same level he did two years ago, in this author's opinion.
With more minutes and a better understanding around the league about what he's capable of defensively, it will be interesting to see how his performance as an on-ball defender compares to the last two years, especially when he was at his best in the 2023-24 campaign.
Monitoring Sam Hauser's impact on the glass
Of course, his contributions, and ideally his growth, as a help defender will matter a great deal. Being a good positional defender can also set oneself up to then chip on the glass. The latter is an area the Celtics could struggle in when they have one big man on the floor.
From his second season on, Jayson Tatum led Boston in defensive rebounds per game every year. He paced his team in total rebounds in each of the last three campaigns. Losing their best rebounder is another massive void created by Tatum's absence.
Hauser is an active offensive rebounder who will swoop in to retrieve long misses. He'll have to take the same approach to ending opponents' possessions. There will also be plenty of times when he's down low and asked to either keep someone from making a play on the ball or to be the person who grabs the miss.
Excluding his rookie campaign, when he averaged 6.1 minutes and made 26 appearances, he's snagging 2.5 defensive rebounds per contest. That figure will have to increase.
Sam Hauser's playmaking off the dribble
The NBA has phased out one-dimensional shooters. There isn't really room anymore for someone who can't make a play when forced to put the ball on the floor.
Hauser has gotten increasingly comfortable at that. His most significant strides came last season. He would smoothly attack off the dribble before burying a mid-range pull-up or delivering a cross-court kick-out pass.
More opportunities await him this season as he continues to evolve into a more dynamic offensive player. What he does with those will be fascinating. It could be a significant part of how Hauser maximizes this season to help the Celtics reclaim their status as title contenders when Tatum returns.