Sam Hauser is giving Celtics another surprise bench weapon that opponents can’t solve

The Celtics scooped up the undrafted Sam Hauser just moments after the 2021 NBA Draft with a two-way contract. 18 months later, it’s hard to imagine even his biggest fans could have seen him progressing into this type of a role on a title contender.

Hauser shined once again on Wednesday night as Boston pulled off their eighth straight victory against the Hawks in blowout fashion without Marcus Smart (ankle) and Malcolm Brogdon (hamstring). Hauser was one of several bright spots that came off the bench in the win, going 5-of-6 from beyond the arc to post 15 points and six rebounds in 27 minutes. However, the biggest highlight of his box score came in plus/minus where he was a team-best plus-35. That type of success has been a common theme all year long for Hauser as good things continue to happen on the floor for the Celtics over his 15 games of the year.

How well have things gone for Boston in Hauser minutes? The 24-year-old forward is currently leading the NBA in plus/minus with a +121 mark in just 245 minutes, besting the likes of Nikola Jokic (+112), Jayson Tatum (+100) and Jrue Holiday (+96) in the NBA’s top-5 in that category. Plus/minus is far from a perfect stat but it is reflective of how much of a weapon Hauser has become for this Celtics team in his second season. Hauser barely got a whiff of meaningful playing last season in his rookie year. Now? He’s Boston’s best frontcourt player off the bench.

“It’s really fun to earn the trust and respect of the coach and the ones you are playing with out there,” Hauser told reporters in Atlanta on Wednesday night. “It’s something that takes a lot of work and you got to prove it each and every day. I’m glad I’ve got to the level where there are times they are looking for me to get a shot up as opposed to themselves. I’m out there to do what I do best and that’s shooting the ball and spacing the floor for these guys. I’m just trying to do that the best I can.”

The key for Hauser has been his efficiency with his shooting first and foremost. He’s knocking down 48 percent of his 3s this year, punishing defenses repeatedly that are preoccupied with slowing down Jayson Tatum and/or Jaylen Brown when he’s on the floor with them. The Celtics are on pace to be the best offense in NBA history at this point and Hauser’s gravity as a shooter is helping them put pressure on defenses night in and night out. He’s also a low-turnover player and stays in his lane, making him the perfect supporting piece for a team with plenty of shot-creators.

“We’ve been really good from beyond the arc this year but we are getting really good looks because we are playing for each other,” Hauser said. “We’re trying to get others open, which allows yourself to get open as well so I think we’re shooting it really well but we’re also getting really good looks. They tie in together there.”

Boston’s bench combined for 44 points overall in Wednesday’s win despite the team playing without Malcolm Brogdon (hamstring) and Marcus Smart (ankle).

“It shows we got a really good team and we’re really deep,” Hauser said. “We have a lot of guys coming off the bench that can really play. Even some guys who don’t get as many minutes, when they do get the opportunity, they’re ready for it. The way we play, how hard we play, I think our defense is getting better each and every day. All credit to that and I think that’s why we are rolling right now.”

As the Celtics get healthier in the weeks to come, the looks should only get easier for Hauser and Boston’s bench and that’s a scary reality for the rest of the Eastern Conference.

If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.