You recognize Jake Issenberg from our Playback channel and his First To The Flooring podcast and now, he’s becoming a member of CelticsBlog as a author. Make certain to take a look at his first piece on Jayson Tatum and his late season taking pictures hunch.
What received you into basketball and the Celtics?
My love for basketball and the Boston Celtics will be attributed to 3 folks: my dad, John Havlicek and Larry Chook. My dad, who grew up in Andover, Massachusetts, had his basketball thoughts molded by the 70s and 80s Celtics. Simply immediately we have been going backwards and forwards on whether or not or not Giannis’ Bucks will go down as a historic Celtics rival. I mentioned completely. Dad was on the fence. He did after all take the chance to remind me that the 1974 Finals collection between the Celtics and Kareem’s Bucks was his favorite collection ever. Then someplace between John Havlicek’s final All-Star look and Larry Chook’s rookie yr, my dad moved to Australia, which is how my household ended up as the largest Celtics followers on a single continent.
My love of basketball is well traced and was apparent from the start. From House Jam, NBA Dwell 2003 on XBOX, I’m ashamed to confess the Lakers have been my most performed workforce (lower me some slack — I used to be 10), taking part in basketball yearly of my life as a *very* undersized combo guard, to beginning a basketball podcast in Jayson Tatum’s rookie yr. From the bounce I’ve cherished each the sport of basketball and the tradition surrounding it.
What are your strengths and/or favourite subjects as a author?
Basketball is enjoyable. I believe basketball content material ought to be enjoyable. Getting swept up within the feelings of sports activities is a part of being a fan however even amidst the ache of a Sport 7 loss to the Miami Warmth in 2023, we will attempt to chuckle by means of the ache. That’s the best way I attempt to write. I’m trying ahead to laughing by means of extra superb victories because the Celtics carry again the perfect roster within the NBA.
What’s your daring prediction for the approaching season?
So far as daring predictions for the 2024/2025 Boston Celtics go, it’s onerous to be daring a couple of workforce that simply gained 64 video games and had probably the most dominant seasons in NBA historical past. However I’ll deal with possibly essentially the most underrated function participant within the NBA, Sam Hauser.
I’m unsure the basketball world totally grasped how effectively Sam Hauser performed within the NBA Finals. He did the factor that received him within the NBA, shot the piss out of the ball – 47.8% from 3 for the collection. On the opposite finish Hauser was focused by Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving relentlessly and held up higher than any non-Celtics fan would ever anticipate.
I say non-Celtics followers as a result of Celtics followers already knew what Hauser was able to in the case of isolation protection. You don’t wish to come into the Hause Lure. Any such impression for a seventh or eighth man shouldn’t be simple to seek out. Will probably be onerous to quantify Sam Hauser’s leap into Elite Position Participant territory. He gained’t make the All-Star workforce. He gained’t make an All-Protection workforce. However he’ll proceed to impression successful at a excessive stage as Hauser continues to develop his recreation and exceed expectations.
This upcoming season, I’m taking a look at Hauser to proceed enhancing his secondary playmaking and skill to attain when he will get run off the road. If we wish to nail down some numbers: final season Hauser performed 22 minutes per recreation and averaged 9 factors on 62.6% true taking pictures to associate with 3.5 rebounds and 1 help. I’d prefer to see these numbers bumped as much as 28 minutes per recreation – 14 factors – 5 rebounds – 2.5 assists on 60% or higher true taking pictures. Certain, Tre Murphy and Naji Marshall are the attractive function gamers persons are speaking about this offseason, nevertheless it’s Sam Hauser’s time to change into the function participant each workforce needs they’d.
