Sam Hauser spent the spring as an easy target, and it’s fair to say the playoff run did him no favors. Against the 76ers, he got dragged into a matchup built on speed and athleticism, and the shot never really came around. Joe Mazzulla kept him in the starting lineup until Game 7, which only magnified the noise around a player who was already taking heat for Boston’s struggles.
That’s the thing about Hauser, though: the blame never really fit the player. He was treated like the face of a larger problem, a role player caught in the middle while the Celtics kept trying to force their way through a bad matchup. Now, with the offseason churn mostly focused elsewhere, he’s drifted into the background even though he’s still on the roster and still in position to matter.
The attention has gone everywhere else. The arrival of Paul George and Mitchell Robinson has pulled plenty of the spotlight.
So have the expected steps forward from Jayson Tatum, Payton Pritchard, and Derrick White. Neemias Queta, Baylor Scheierman, Hugo Gonzalez, and Jordan Walsh have all been part of the conversation too.
Hauser, meanwhile, has stayed mostly out of it.
That could be a mistake.
He may or may not keep his starting spot, but that’s not really the point. Hauser remains Boston’s best shooter, and he almost never gives the ball away.
In a Celtics offense that is clearly leaning all the way into Joe Mazzulla’s approach, that combination matters. It should matter a lot.
He’s going to spend plenty of time alongside Tatum, White, and Pritchard, and that’s where he tends to thrive. When those creators are running the show, Hauser’s job is simple: stretch the floor, keep the spacing clean, and make defenses pay for helping too far. With Boston’s offensive rebounding, its depth of shooting, and the kinds of looks that should come off kick-outs and second-chance opportunities, a career year is very much on the table.
The defensive side should get a little easier, too. Hauser wasn’t described as a liability, but the personnel around him is changing in a way that can only help. Instead of playing next to Jaylen Brown, a poor off-ball defender, he’ll be surrounded by George, one of the best and smartest team defenders in the league, and Robinson, another rim protector added to the mix.
After a playoff ending that left a lot of people looking for a culprit, Hauser has become a forgotten Celtic. That doesn’t mean his role is shrinking.
If anything, the way this roster is built suggests the opposite. He’s still carrying an elite skill, still a valuable piece, and still set up to play a major part.
The bet here is that he handles it and turns in the best season of his career.
In Other News...
Celtics Face A Bigger Paul George Decision Than Fans Realize
Even with age, injury history and a hefty contract attached, Paul George still has enough standing around the league that teams have not written him off as a difference-maker. An NBA executive told Sean Deveney that George continues to carry considerable value, which helps explain why his arrival in Boston has remained a topic of real interest rather than a passing roster note.
George has also sounded upbeat about landing with the Celtics and has made clear he would like to stick around. The larger question is how Boston sees him as the season unfolds, because the teams long-term plan for him is still unsettled and the answer will say a lot about where this roster is headed next. [Read more 🡒]
Paul George Usage Could Reveal A Lot About Bostons Confidence
The Celtics handling of Paul George is already shaping up as one of the more interesting early questions around their rotation. A minutes restriction would not be unusual for a veteran with mileage, and Boston has history here, having managed Al Horford carefully in his later seasons with the team. For now, though, there is no official indication that George is headed for that kind of limited workload, and the tone from media day suggested he may be available whenever he is healthy.
That leaves the real intrigue in how Boston chooses to use him once the games start counting. The Celtics seem confident George can handle significant minutes this season, which says plenty about how they view his body and his role in the rotation. Even so, the exact plan has not been confirmed, and the difference between a full-go approach and a more cautious one could tell a lot about just how aggressively Boston wants to chase the regular season with its veteran core. [Read more 🡒]
Payton Pritchard Is About To Face Bostons Biggest New Test
Payton Pritchard has spent his Celtics tenure turning steady growth into real trust, and last season made the leap as his most productive one yet. After improving each year in Boston, he earned Sixth Man of the Year honors in 2025 and gave the Celtics efficient scoring, playmaking and a burst off the bench that helped shape their second unit.
Now the challenge changes. With Jaylen Brown gone to Philadelphia, Pritchard is set to shoulder a bigger creation load alongside Jayson Tatum, and that kind of expanded responsibility brings a different level of scrutiny in Boston. The question is no longer whether he can help spark the offense in a reserve role, but whether he can keep that production steady while becoming a more central part of what the Celtics do next. [Read more 🡒]