Sam Hauser’s slump, Joe Mazzulla’s All-Star push among top Celtics
Forsberg: Celtics’ Hauser dilemma among January storylines to watch originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
January tends to be the NBA’s most boring month. The sizzle of Christmas Day matchups are in the rearview and it’s a slow crawl to the trade deadline/All-Star combo in February tends to crank up the excitement, especially as the NFL season reaches its finish line.
The Celtics will play 15 games over the first 28 days of January and cross the midway point of the season in the process. But minds will naturally be wandering ahead.
There will be some spikes in interest, particularly on Thursday nights this month. Boston visits Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks this week, treks to play the surging Nets next Thursday, then hosts the Golden State Warriors in another playoff rematch on January 19.
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But some nights, like a Tuesday visit to Oklahoma City, will challenge the team’s ability to find motivation. With that in mind, here are four things we’re keeping our eyes on in January:
1. Sam’s Slump
Sam Hauser’s slump has now stretched over a month. In the 16 games since November 30, he’s shooting 33.8 percent from the floor and 28.1 percent beyond the 3-point arc. Once dancing among the NBA’s plus/minus leaders early in the year, Hauser is minus-45 over those 16 games. He’s held a positive plus/minus in only six of those games, although four of those have come since Christmas Day.
Our panic meters on Hauser have been relatively low. Shooters go through slumps. The second-year forward has also projected confidence throughout his struggles, an encouraging sign for any young player.
But January could be a bit of a make-or-break month. Brad Stevens has said that it’s his job to explore all opportunities to upgrade the roster before the trade deadline and noted how he must determine what’s a blip and what’s real. Is Hauser’s month-long…
