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Boston Celtics Notebook: All Sam Hauser Needed Is a Chance, and He’s Proving It
Mike Thomas spent 23 years on staff and 16 years as the sports editor at The Herald News in Fall River, Mass., before joining Sportscasting in 2020. Mike has a deep knowledge of and passion for the NFL and NBA, and he excels at interviewing sports celebrities to find out their Super Bowl picks. A New England Newspaper and Press Association award-winning columnist and an avid sports memorabilia collector, Mike enjoys keeping up with all the sports news and the works of former Sports Illustrated columnist Rick Reilly. You can find more of Mike's work on Muck Rack.
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He’s no longer the man at the end of the bench. Sam Hauser is getting his shot for the Boston Celtics, and he’s making the most of it.
Hauser is a pure shooter and has put on a shooting clinic in Boston’s first two preseason games. The Celtics have sought scoring off the bench, and they need to look no further than their 6-foot-8, second-year forward.
Sam Hauser making a name for himself with the Boston Celtics
In the offseason, the Celtics addressed their biggest problem — the bench. Brad Stevens traded for veteran guard Malcolm Brogdon without shaking up their core. He also signed veteran Danilo Gallinari to provide bench scoring, but he tore his ACL during a summer game and is expected to miss the season. The Celtics may have found some instant scoring without going outside the organization.
Boston signed Hauser as an undrafted free agent in 2021. He appeared in 26 games for the Celtics last season, splitting time with the team’s Maine affiliate. With Boston, he averaged 2.5 points in 6.1 minutes.
Known as a pure shooter, Hauser is making a name for himself through the first two preseason games this year. In Wednesday night’s overtime loss to the Toronto Raptors, Hauser went for 22 points in 26 minutes. He made eight of 12 shots from the floor and went 5-for-8 from three-point land.
In two games, Hauser is 13-for-18 shooting. He’s made nine of his 13 three-point attempts.
Jayson Tatum jokes about Hauser and his shooting
Celtics star Jayson Tatum was asked if Hauser was a better shooter than him.
“Hell no,” Tatum said, per Boston.com. “I tell him all the time if I was that wide open, if people left me that wide open and all I had to do was catch and shoot, I would make a lot more shots as well. I tell Sam he should send me a thank-you card.”
Tatum then turned serious, saying how much the Celtics will rely on him this year.
“Sam is obviously a great shooter,” he said. “His game has come a long way, and I’m happy for him. I’m happy he’s getting an opportunity. He’s obviously making the most out of it. And we’re going to need him.”
In an interview with Sportscasting this summer, Celtics forward Grant Williams, a sportscard collector, was asked what current Celtics player he’d invest in if he was given $500 to spend on their rookie cards.
“It would probably be either Sam Hauser… I could probably get 50 cards, right, for like two dollars or like a dollar apiece,” Williams said. “Those I feel like one day are going to be unreal just because of the type of shooter he is and how hard he works. I have a feeling about it.
“Then, I’d bet on myself a little bit.”
Malcolm Brogdon fitting in nicely
The Celtics brought in Brogdon to provide some depth. He’s given them much more than that.
On Wedneday, Brogdon played 23 minutes. He didn’t shoot well, making one of his six attempts, but he led the team in assists with nine. Brogdon’s versatility is priceless. He can score and be a facilitator. The biggest concern with Brogdon is staying healthy.
In Boston’s preseason opener, Brogdon also had a team-high nine assists in his 24 minutes of work. He went 4-for-9 from the floor, finishing with 11 points.
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