Joe Mazzulla explains most underappreciated part of Sam Hauser's evolution

Sam Hauser caught fire in the third quarter of the Boston Celtics' win over the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday. The six-foot-eight sharpshooter buried five of his ten field goal attempts. He outscored the hosts 13-11 in a period where the visitors put on a defensive masterclass.

"Sam got hot, and when he does that for us, our team just becomes so much different, and we need him to keep doing that type of stuff," said Neemias Queta about Hauser's third-quarter impact in Boston's 97-81 victory.

The fifth-year forward finished with 16 points, four assists, and three rebounds. The former University of Virginia standout knocked down four of the ten shots he hoisted from beyond the arc.

Joe Mazzulla's perspective on Sam Hauser's evolution

Much of the Wisconsin native's scoring in the first half came from variations of Spain pick-and-rolls, a staple of the Celtics' offense. It's a screen-the-screener action, where a player, usually a shooter, like Hauser, sets a back screen for a teammate, traditionally a center, who is setting a pick for the ball handler.

Teams can play around with that formula, including having the person playing the part that Hauser often has in the action setting the ball screen, which is typically the center's job.

After dining on that action in the first half, Hauser found his rhythm by stepping into a clean look at a three-pointer less than a minute into the third frame. Nearly a minute later, he had a beautiful backdoor cut for a layup. Along with his long-range prowess and ability get open off the ball, he also showcased his comfort attacking closeouts, driving toward the baseline before burying a pull-up jumper.

"I think he's just constantly, as the game evolves, he's constantly making reads and changing," voiced Joe Mazzulla after Boston's victory in Phoenix. "And so, I mean, tonight, in the first half, it was Spain. In the second half, he got a lot of stuff on off-ball reads, you know? And so, he just had, he does a great job just reading the game and working on the different reads, and so, he got loose on the first play in the third quarter. Found a couple [of] other ones. But I think the evolution of his is continuing to read how defenses are defending him, whether it's pick-and-roll or off-ball, and taking advantage of it."

Since Hauser became a first-unit fixture on Jan. 3 against the Los Angeles Clippers, the Celtics are 16-5. He has helped solidify that starting group. That's not just with his offense and growth at reading and exploiting how the defense is guarding him.

The six-foot-eight forward remains an underrated defender. He does an excellent job of absorbing contact with his chest, deterring drives, rather than opening up his hips and giving the opposition a path to get downhill. Hauser is also a disciplined defender. He keeps himself in a position to challenge shots, but rarely fouls when contesting them. There are also plenty of examples of players who try to get in their bag against him, only for it backfire.

Like his teammates up and down Boston's roster, Hauser, who has seamlessly transitioned into a starting role, is parlaying his opportunity to shoulder more responsibility to fuel the forward's evolution.