Hidden Gem: Celtics’ Sam Hauser Brings More Than His Shooting

In the case of Boston Celtics forward Sam Hauser, minutes will always be available due to his ability to knock it down from distance.

It's what he does beyond hitting shots that keeps him on the floor, however.

In the past two seasons, Hauser has seen his usage rate skyrocket, becoming a regular in the Celtics' rotation both before and after Grant Williams' departure this offseason. In 2023-24, he's averaging a 14.8% usage rate and 19.5 minutes per game. In those minutes, the 25-year-old is knocking down 47.5% of his shots from beyond the arc and averaging 9.6 points per game. He's having the very definition of a career year offensively.

Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla wants to talk about his defense, though.

"I think he's a much better defender than people think," Mazzulla said, per Jared Weiss of The Athletic. "I can't say why because I'd get in trouble. ... His technique and his ability to know tendencies, I feel just as comfortable with him guarding as anybody else. I've said it from day one: I think he's a very, very good defender, underrated, and as he continues to get better, it makes our team better."

Weiss does a great job of breaking down exactly why Hauser has excelled defensively, but the proof has been in the box score for two seasons now.

It became a popular joke to point out that Hauser led the NBA in defensive rating (106.4) throughout the majority of last season, but it's hard to call that a fluke when you see what he's doing this year. Hauser's rating is back at 107.6, which is still among one of the best in the NBA. He's also got six steals and four blocks, putting him on pace to surpass his averages from last year.

Hauser isn't going to physically dominate -- well, anybody that he's tasked with guarding. He is, however, going to find himself in the right position and allow his balance to do most of the heavy lifting.

That's why you're going to continue to see his numbers rise, with his stock around the league soon following suit.