Pritchard and Hauser are responding to all inquiries at Three Leaf Clover.
Al Horford is ageless, Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard are producing off the bench, and the Celtics are West Virginia’s team.
I don’t mean to sound dramatic, but the Celtics are excellent. They are actually getting close to becoming among the greatest Celtics squads in history. A forecast akin to that of a conservative Mitt Romney would tie them for the fifth-most wins in Celtics history if they win 62 games. Assuming 64 victories, they would rank fourth. We’re talking about the bench today because stars don’t get a team that kind of success on their alone.
Weekly Stat: +11.9 net rating
The Celtics bench raised some eyebrows before the season. With the exception of Al Horford, who is virtually flawless and more akin to a sixth starter, fans and commentators were understandably dubious about the bench’s potential to provide high-level basketball—though perhaps not to the same extent as 50 Cent. In this external doubt, Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser were the poster boys.
Both had just finished inconsistent seasons in which they saw little to no action during the NBA Playoffs and fluctuated greatly in the lineup (Prichard, more so than the other player). Their flaws were continually brought up. Are they able to defend? Is there anything they can do besides shoot? Do they possess sufficient athleticism?
Those were reasonable inquiries at the time, but they were blind to the real issues and missed the mark. It didn’t matter what the specific answers to each question were; what mattered was whether Pritchard and Hauser could make a constructive contribution. As long as their contribution helps them when they are on the court, it doesn’t matter how it is made. These two have responded emphatically in the affirmative.
When Sam and Payton are on the court, the Celtics are really 2 points better per 100 possessions than when they are not.
Here, context is obviously crucial. They match up with other bench players and play a significant amount of minutes alongside Jayson Tatum. Tatum has a history of leading bench heavy units to outrageous net ratings; this is also the reason why Jaylen Brown’s advanced numbers and on/off difference understate his true effect.
Pritchard and Hauser, even taking context into consideration, have excelled off the bench. When the Celtics are on the court together, it would be advantageous if they played teams to a draw so that the starter-heavy groups could dominate, which they do. However, that is not the case. Starting players are outscoring opponents at an even higher rate while bludgeoning teams like a mid-prime Robert Baratheon. Then, like Daenarys on her dragon, Pritchard, Hauser, and Al enter the game and begin to rain down points. Take a look at the Celtics’ top-10 3-man lineups. Pritchard and Hauser are all over it.
Have Pritchard and Hauser addressed every query raised about their performances in the offseason? No, but they have addressed the most important question.
OOOOHHhhhhs and X’s: Classic Al Horford
The defensive play that Al Horford is making at his age is very amazing. Since I am far younger than Al—nearly nine months younger, in fact—I am able to talk about him as though he is elderly. Horford has consistently shown himself to be one of the league’s top defensive players—and perhaps the most underappreciated—and he is doing so again this year.
But as he’s gotten older, his defense has evolved. He’s hardly the switch-everything big Brad Stevens or Ime Udoka once were. However, one of the most astute centers in history has developed an even deeper understanding of the game at the same time as his athletic decline. Al’s BBIQ is comparable to Vince Carter’s dunking on Frederic Weis in that he never stops rising, even when you believe he has hit his pinnacle. Before the ballhandler even knows where he’s heading, he assists on drives.
