BOSTON— With the Celtics bringing back virtually their same roster Sam Hauser from the title season, there’s a good reason they’re considered heavy favorites to go back-to-back. The C’s starters are a strong collective as they’re one of the best in the league.
But that continuity also goes to their bench — there’s a good reason for that. Guys like Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard were huge parts of the equation to the Celtics’ championship. Hauser has developed into a premier role player as one of the best shooters in the league; Pritchard had some of the most memorable moments throughout the playoff run. And that relationship between the two goes far.
That’s like my brother,” Pritchard said. “We’re different in our skillsets a little bit. Obviously, we’re both great shooters. I think Sam is one of the best, if not the best shooter, up there with the best in the league. I put in on the ground a little bit more, so our skill sets kind of match.”
Both Pritchard and Hauser are signed with the Celtics long-term. Pritchard signed his four-year extension last year to solidify his future in the league. Hauser agreed to his own four-year extension, $45 million this past summer as the two sides were able to come to terms to a fair number. Aside from a trade, both those guys are slated to be C’s contributors for the foreseeable future.
As Pritchard mentioned, there’s some overlap in their game as strong shooters. Hauser is a career 45.0% 3-point shooter while Pritchard comes in at 39.5%. They also contribute to the team in other ways. Pritchard crashes the glass and brings some much-needed energy as a spark plug. Hauser’s underrated defense has been targeted by opponents for years, only for him to hold up.
Both role players will be important for the Celtics going forward. Over the course of a long season, they’ll have their moments in the spotlight. Then once the lights are brightest, the Celtics also get the luxury of relying on their trusted depth players to step up in massive moments.
“He’s moving without the ball a lot more,“ Pritchard said. ”Especially from playing together, I can find him. I’ll get into the paint, and then, I don’t know. We’re just always expanding our games together.
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