After Returning to His Roots, Sam Hauser Discusses Jordan Walsh's Development

Last Thursday, a day before the Boston Celtics' 133-123 win over the New York Knicks, improving to 16-5, including 10-0 at TD Garden, Sam Hauser made the pilgrimage to Portland, Maine.

The sharpshooting forward honed his craft in the G League in 2021-22. His development there signaled to the parent club that he was ready for a closer look.

"That's where it all started," he said of his trip to the Pine Tree State after Monday's practice. "Support the people that helped me get here. There's a lot of good people up there, and it's always fun to be back and support those guys, and you never know, maybe we'll see a face or two from that team right now up here in a couple (of) years. So, it's always good to go back and appreciate where you came from."

Hauser's now a rotation fixture in Boston, evolving into a legitimate two-way player, impacting the game at both ends of the court. He's averaging 9.6 points, drilling 43.5 percent of his 6.2 threes per contest, and grabbing 3.6 rebounds. His defensive rating of 107 ranks fourth among Celtics who log at least eight minutes per game, per NBA.com.

His return to Maine also allowed him to see Jordan Walsh generate 20 points, 10 rebounds, and three assists in a 135-109 win over the Delaware Blue Coats.