When Jayson Tatum went down in May of 2025, the Boston Celtics needed answers fast. Jaylen Brown drew the biggest spotlight, and he delivered in a way Boston could hardly have asked for more. But Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser were part of that story too, and what they did in Tatum’s absence gave the Celtics a clearer picture of both players moving forward.
Pritchard, in particular, made a strong case that Boston still hasn’t seen his full game. As the Celtics kept expanding his responsibilities, he kept answering. With Tatum out for three fourths of the season, Pritchard handled a larger workload as the de facto starter before shifting back to the Sixth Man role when Boston started preparing for Tatum’s return.
His production jumped with the opportunity. Pritchard finished with career highs of 17 points, 5.2 assists, and 3.9 rebounds, while shooting 46/38/89.
Just as important, the numbers held up even after Tatum came back, a sign that his game wasn’t dependent on the bigger role. He also posted impressive numbers without Brown, enough to make a real argument that he was producing at an All-Star level.
That’s the part Boston has to pay attention to now. Pritchard showed that there’s more to unlock if he’s given the kind of usage that fits him best. With Brown gone, he has a real chance to take another step this season.
Hauser’s case was different. His season without Tatum didn’t point toward a bigger role so much as it reinforced the one he already has. He stayed in his lane as a three-point specialist who also holds his own defensively despite his limitations.
He wasn’t bad at all in Boston’s mostly Tatum-less season, putting up career highs of 9.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.8 assists. But those numbers also fit the broader picture of who Hauser has been since arriving in Boston.
He didn’t really surge the way Pritchard did, and he didn’t fade either. He just remained himself.
That matters, because it suggests Hauser is best used as a specialist, not as a starter, unless Boston is dealing with another Tatum-sized problem. With Paul George on the team, Hauser should be back in the second unit, where he fits best.
So while both players will matter to the Celtics this season, they won’t matter in quite the same way. Pritchard looks ready for more.
Hauser looks ready to keep doing what he’s always done. And that difference is a lot clearer now than it was when Boston rolled to Banner 18 two years ago.
In Other News...
Celtics Fans Should Feel Better About This Bradley Beal Outcome
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From Bostons perspective, that is probably the right outcome. The Celtics have spent enough time building around Tatum and a specific team structure to know that adding a high-usage scorer with Beals profile would have raised more questions than it answered, and the pairing looked potentially awkward from the start. His move to Los Angeles closes the loop on a possibility that generated buzz, but ultimately never made as much sense for Boston as it did for outside observers chasing the big name. [Read more 🡒]
Doc Rivers Just Reopened A Celtics Debate Fans Never Settled
Doc Rivers Hall of Fame induction is a fresh reminder of just how much his career has meant to the modern NBA, and for Celtics fans it also brings back one of the franchises longest-running arguments. He remains the coach who guided Boston to the 2008 title, a run that still carries enormous weight in the teams history, even as his career since then has stretched across Orlando, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Milwaukee.
Since the 2010-11 season, Rivers has won more games than any coach in the league, a marker that underscores both his staying power and the scope of his rsum. At the same time, the debate around him never really disappeared, because playoff disappointments have always lived alongside the championship and the broader recognition that he belongs among the top 15 coaches in NBA history. [Read more 🡒]
Jaylen Browns First Celtics Trade Reaction Says Plenty
Jaylen Browns first public reaction to the trade sounded like a player trying to process a jarring career turn without letting it linger too long. After helping Boston win the 2024 NBA Finals and earning Finals MVP honors, Brown is now headed to Philadelphia, and in a recent interview he made clear the move did not come as an easy emotional handoff. Even so, his tone shifted quickly toward the practical side of the business, the part where a new season demands a new routine and a new set of teammates.
Brown stressed the need to build chemistry and put in the work with his new club as the 76ers get ready for the season ahead. For Boston fans, the reaction is another reminder that the end of a championship run can still lead straight into uncertainty, even for the player who was at the center of it. For Brown, the next chapter appears to be about keeping the disappointment in perspective and seeing where the fit goes from here. [Read more 🡒]