Three-point shooting has become such a huge part of the NBA that simply looking at percentages and volume doesn’t really tell the whole story anymore. Not all attempts are created equal, and the way shots are generated and their efficiency can be a factor in how those attempts actually impact winning.
With teams doing so much to emphasize defending the three-point line, closing out on shooters, and running guys off the line, it’s more important than ever for guys to be able to get their shot off in a hurry and make it at a high clip. And that’s an area where the Celtics dominate.
There were only nine players in the 2025-26 season who attempted 15 or more threes with a total touch time of 0.6 seconds or fewer. Two of them played for the Celtics. Sam Hauser was fourth in the league with 21 such attempts, and Baylor Scheierman was 9th with 15.
Even more impressively, among the top-10 in these attempts, the two Celtics had the best shooting percentages on these shots by a wide margin. Hauser hit 14 of 21, good for 66.7%, and Baylor went 9 for 15, hitting 60%. That beat out sharpshooters like Stephen Curry (31.3%), Klay Thompson (33.3%), Kon Knueppel (42.9%), and others.
Among the top 10, the only non-Celtic to hit better than 43.5% was Cam Johnson of the Nuggets, who nailed 52.6% on 19 attempts.
Why Hauser and Scheierman’s quick releases are so critical
Obviously, this is an impressive feat, but more than just the insane efficiency, this does wonders for the Boston offense as a whole. Defenses are going to recognize that Sam and Baylor need virtually zero space or time to get off a good look, and the floor will be shifted in their direction. Opponents won’t sag off those guys or drift away from them when they don’t have the ball.
😮💨 https://t.co/g81xEl7pqM pic.twitter.com/NbV5M1Mmjd
— ALL NBA Podcast (@ALLCITY_NBA) July 21, 2026
That’s going to open up the floor for players like Jayson Tatum, Payton Pritchard, Paul George, and others to operate with the ball. Better spacing, more room to drive and around the rim, more open passing lanes, and less help everywhere else on the court.
It’s one thing to hit 40% on wide-open set shots. It’s quite another to bury shots at a 60% clip off the catch in the blink of an eye. That’s what teams are dealing with when they face the Celtics, and it’s going to make life so much easier for everybody else on the floor.
Add us as a preferred source on Google