Celtics final month stock watch: 3 risers, 1 faller
By Will Eudy
Riser: Sam Hauser
Another member of the Celtics who has been with the organization for a few years now is Sam Hauser. Signing a two-way deal with Boston back in August of 2021, Sam spent much of his rookie season with the G League Maine Celtics, getting reps like a lot of rookies who are not quite ready to be rotation players yet do.
Not even six months after initially signing with the team, Hauser earned a full-time spot on a standard NBA deal in Boston in February of 2022. He did not play a ton of minutes, but he was part of the team that reached the NBA Finals less than two years ago.
Having been there for those huge moments has helped Sam develop into the player he is still becoming. Playing 21.1 minutes per night and putting up career-high averages of 8.1 points and 3.3 rebounds this season, Hauser is earning himself into a bigger role with this team.
Recently, he has shown some very promising flashes. The last two games have marked the first time Sam has played over 30 minutes in back-to-back games this year, and he has averaged 18.0 points over those last two outings. There is of course no reasonable expectation for Hauser to become a starter anytime soon, but he is showing he should be able to be relied upon when the playoffs begin.