Sam Hauser’s early season was defined by an ice-cold shooting slump that severely tested the limits of his spot-up role. When the perimeter jumper abandons him, his overall value completely plummets. He bottomed out on 12/12 vs MIL, missing all nine of his three-point attempts. That brick-fest generated a disastrous -18.5 Impact score because a few rebounds couldn't possibly offset the sheer volume of wasted offensive possessions. He still has nights where the basket looks like an ocean, such as his blistering 21-point barrage on 10/29 vs CLE, where burying seven threes yielded a massive +13.7 Impact score. Yet, his most fascinating performance came when the shot wasn't his main weapon. On 11/19 vs BKN, Hauser managed just eight points but posted a robust +9.5 Impact score by crashing the glass for seven rebounds and keeping the offense flowing with three assists. If he wants to survive the cold spells, he must bring that exact kind of blue-collar effort every single night.

Sam Hauser’s mid-season stretch was defined by a permanent promotion to the starting lineup, fueled by moments of absolutely nuclear perimeter shooting. Before making the leap to the first unit, he torched the nets on 12/27 vs IND, pouring in 23 points on a blistering 7-of-8 from beyond the arc to generate a massive +20.6 Impact score in just 17 minutes. He reached an even higher peak as a starter on 01/18 vs ATL, launching a staggering 21 three-point attempts and hitting 10 of them for 30 points and a +21.7 Impact score. But Hauser wasn't just a one-dimensional gunner. During the 01/13 vs IND matchup, his shot abandoned him as he managed just 8 points on 2-of-7 shooting, yet he still clawed out a +3.5 Impact score by crashing the glass for 8 rebounds and giving relentless defensive effort. When the jumper completely vanished, however, his overall value plummeted. Look no further than 02/06 vs MIA, where a brutal 0-for-6 night from deep yielded an abysmal -9.3 Impact score, revealing the glaring offensive costs when his primary weapon misfires.

Sam Hauser’s late-season run was defined by violent swings between absolute perimeter invisibility and blistering net-shredding dominance. During a brutal mid-March freeze, he became an active liability, perfectly captured on 03/20 vs MEM when he posted a dismal -10.4 Impact score while laying a goose egg with zero points on three attempts. When his jumper vanishes, his value plummets because defenders simply ignore him to clog the paint. Conversely, he warped opposing defenses on 04/01 vs MIA by racking up 23 points on wildly efficient 9-for-11 shooting. That performance generated a massive +14.5 Impact score, driven entirely by flawless shot selection and lethal floor spacing. Yet, he doesn't always need a hot hand to tilt the floor. During the 03/10 vs SAS contest, Hauser managed just 11 points but still recorded an excellent +9.1 Impact because he crashed the glass for seven rebounds and kept the offensive flow alive with smart passing.