13 for 13, Part 3: Early thoughts on Simons and other Celtics role players

13 for 13, Part 3: Early thoughts on Simons and other Celtics role players originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Editor’s Note: In a three-part series, Chris Forsberg is sharing 13 thoughts on the 13 Celtics players who have played in the team’s first 13 games. Part 1 focused on the “core four.” Part 2 focused on key role players. Here is Part 3.

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For all the consternation about Boston’s depth after its offseason overhaul, there is still no lack of competition for minutes on this new-look Celtics roster.

Joe Mazzulla has leaned heavily into players who can bring energy and grit. We’re eager to see if the competition among the bench players can push the entire batch to expand their games.

For Part 3 of our “13 thoughts on 13 players after 13 games” series, we’re keeping the spotlight on Boston’s bench players:

Sam Hauser

One number: 96.7

That’s how many points per 100 shot attempts that Hauser is averaging this season. It ranks in the bottom 3rd percentile among all forwards, per Cleaning the Glass data.

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More jarring: That number is 31.5 points per 100 shots lower than Hauser’s average over the past three seasons, where he’s lingered in the 88th percentile or higher while averaging 128.2 points per 100 shot attempts in that span.

One thought

Hauser got first crack as a starter with the fellow holdovers from Boston’s last title team, but the Celtics’ rebounding woes forced the team to seek alternatives. Hauser’s shot has disappeared in November, too, with six straight games with one 3-pointer or less.

A wrist sprain likely hasn’t helped matters, but even Hauser looks exasperated whenever shots finally fall. Like we’ve often said with Payton Pritchard and Derrick White, this team could look a lot different when players who typically make shots find their groove.

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Anfernee Simons

One number: 47.3

That’s Simons’ 3-point percentage on catch-and-shoot 3s this season. He’s taking 4.2 per game in that playtype. On the flip side, he’s shooting 30.8 percent on 3.0 pull-up 3-point attempts per game.

While Simons’ ability to create for himself is vital for a new-look bench group, the Celtics need to maximize his catch-and-shoot abilities by having others create for him.

One thought

It’s insane how hot Simons can get shooting the ball in short stretches. He’s reached double figures in scoring in 10 of Boston’s 13 games. While we’d like to see the Celtics limit Simons’ ball-handling responsibilities, he has driven down his turnovers after a rough preseason, and his assist percentage is up over the last few games. Being a willing ball-mover can aid that second group.