In Sam Hauser’s fifth year as a Boston Celtic, only Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Payton Pritchard have been with the team longer. He’s been an exceptional complementary piece and played a key role in Boston’s championship run. Hauser has typically found ways to expand his game, but on this new-look roster, he’s stagnated — and younger wings have begun to pass him by. It raises a fair question: is Hauser’s future in Boston suddenly less secure?
Sam Hauser doesn’t look like himself, but historically, that’s not unusual.
There has almost always been a month or prolonged stretch of games where Hauser can’t put the ball in the hoop. Last year, he shot 34% from three in October and November, only to follow it with one of his signature heaters that quickly pushed his numbers well above 40%.
This season, the start has looked similar on the surface. Hauser again sits at 34% through the first two months, but the momentum hasn’t fully materialized. After an encouraging 48% mark over his first four games in December, everything came crashing down with an 0-for-9 night in the loss to Milwaukee.
That game was disappointing on its own, but it also magnified some already uneven play. The growth Hauser showed inside the arc hasn’t translated either, as he’s just 8-for-22 on two-point attempts.
At his best, Hauser is one of the league’s elite off-ball shooters, generally solid on the defensive end, and well worth the four-year, $45 million contract he signed after the championship run. During a slump like this though, his biggest source of value disappears, and steady defense isn’t enough to offset it, especially when he doesn’t generate many steals or blocks.
There’s plenty of reason to believe the 0/9 game was a blip in what could ultimately become an efficient stretch of games. He has one of the most sound resumes for any premier shooter.
The danger for Sam is that his position in the rotation is less solidified than ever. Backup wing depth hasn’t been great for Boston in recent years, but it’s currently one of their main strengths. The freedom Hauser had to shoot himself back into a rhythm isn’t quite as available when Jordan Walsh, Josh Minott and Hugo Gonzalez are all ready to take more minutes and pick up the slack.
Of all the non-Jaylen Brown wings, Hauser maintains a narrow lead in minutes per game. In terms of on court impact, he’s lagging behind.
Hauser’s capable on-ball defense and timely rotations allow him to slide into a supporting role for an already strong defensive unit. However, he doesn’t lift a defense in the same way his fellow wings can. Most surprisingly, his offensive influence has been the weakest as well when you consider the amount Minott plays up a position as a small ball center.
With the other options proving to be capable decision-makers, momentum changing athletes, and shockingly good shooters, it’s difficult to say that Hauser has the edge in many categories right now.
There’s a reasonable chance that regression comes in both directions. Walsh, Minott and Gonzalez likely aren’t ~45% from 3 type of players, just as Hauser probably won’t stick at 34%. If that gap begins to close, Sam should regain some of his shine.
He’ll always have the trust of Joe Mazzulla and the coaching staff, but it’s going to take more than that to hang on to his minutes for now and in the future.
There was a lot of talk in the summer about his safety as the team navigated through salary cuts. With internal development adding pressure behind him, it wouldn’t be surprising if his name ends up in trade rumors again when the deadline approaches.
His connection with Jayson Tatum — while not currently relevant — isn’t something that can be ignored. Hauser has been a staple of Tatum & the bench lineups that were always impactful. In over 2,000 minutes together, they have an 11.6 net rating with Hauser’s spacing and off-ball shooting being a great pairing with Tatum’s success as a creator.
When you consider the value of that partnership, and the benefit of having another player with championship experience in the locker room, it’s worth giving him the grace to work through his usual early season struggles. With that said, the margin for error is smaller when others in his position group have made real strides. Tatum coming back to soak up 35 minutes also has to come from somewhere.
The skillset that makes him valuable hasn’t disappeared, but it has to be centered around elite shooting. If he can find his rhythm, he has the tools to maintain a meaningful role. His knowledge of the system, chemistry with the team, and elite spacing will never get old.
If he doesn’t quite turn the corner, and Boston’s other wing options continue their rapid development, his future beyond this retooling year is not as certain.
History says Sam Hauser’s slumps rarely last, so it’s time to see if he can heat up again.
