Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports
Hoos in Boston: Hauser and Brogdon Form Dynamic Duo for Celtics
Malcolm Brogdon and Sam Hauser have never shared the floor together before. When Brogdon concluded his decorated career at Virginia in 2016, Hauser had yet to begin his freshman season at Marquette.
But that has not stopped these two former Wahoos from displaying a strong chemistry so far in their first two preseason games playing together for the Boston Celtics.
As the Celtics hoped, Malcolm Brogdon already appears to be the crucial missing piece to the puzzle for Boston on the offensive end of the floor. Similarly, the Celtics were anticipating a sophomore leap from Hauser after signing the former UVA sharpshooter to a three-year, $6 million deal in July. Through the first two games of preseason, both of those things seem to be true and they also appear to be going hand-in-hand, as Brogdon and Hauser seem to have a natural connection.
Hauser has hit nine three-pointers in two games, seven of which have been assisted by Brogdon. In Boston's blowout win over the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday, Hauser scored 14 points on 5/6 shooting, including 4/5 from three-point territory. Three of those four three-pointers were assisted by Malcolm Brogdon, who recorded 11 points, nine rebounds, and five assists in his first live action playing for the Celtics after they traded five players and a first-round draft pick to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for the former NBA Rookie of the Year in July.
In Boston's second preseason game against the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night, the Brogdon-Hauser connection was even stronger. Brogdon had just four points against the Raptors, but he dished out nine assists in the game, four of which produced three-pointers for Sam Hauser. It was another lights-out shooting performance for Hauser, who knocked down five of his eight three-point attempts and shot 8/12 from the floor for 22 points. On the one three-pointer that Hauser made that Brogdon didn't technically assist, he had the hockey assist as he drove baseline and fed the ball to Payton Pritchard, who passed once more to Hauser on the wing for the three.
Watch Hauser's full highlights against the Raptors in the video below:
When asked about the chemistry that he has already developed with his new teammate, Sam Hauser was quick to mention the Virginia connection he shares with Brogdon.
We certainly look forward to watching Hauser and Brogdon continue to develop into a formidable duo in this upcoming NBA season. Brogdon, Hauser, and the Celtics have two more preseason games - against Charlotte on October 7th and against Toronto on October 14th - before Boston begins the 2022-2023 NBA season against the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday, October 18th at 7:30pm.
Sam Hauser and Malcolm Brogdon weren't the only former Wahoos to shine in NBA preseason play on Wednesday night. Mamadi Diakite, who is the only UVA player to be teammates with both Malcolm Brogdon (2015-16 season) and Sam Hauser (2019-20 season) at Virginia, also delivered a solid performance for the Cleveland Cavaliers against the 76ers.
In just 12 minutes of action, Diakite scored eight points on a hyper-efficient 4/5 shooting. He also recorded three rebounds, two steals, and three blocks, including this fabulous rejection of Jaden Springer's layup attempt, which Diakite pinned against the backboard.
Diakite, who is looking to earn a roster spot with the Cavs as he enters the preseason on a training camp deal, was a valuable contributor on both ends of the floor on Wednesday night. He looked comfortable in the Cleveland offense, catching a lob for an alley-oop dunk and also showing some nice poise under pressure as he easily maneuvered past a double team and along the baseline for a reverse layup.
Diakite will have his next opportunity to impress the Cavaliers when they take on the Sixers again on Monday at 7pm.
Stay up to date on all the former Virginia athletes playing at the professional level here: Pro Hoos on Sports Illustrated
See more Virginia sports news and content: Virginia Cavaliers on Sports Illustrated
Follow CavaliersNow on Twitter
Follow CavaliersNow on Facebook
Latest Virginia Cavaliers news and storylines
UVA Football Roster Update: Which Freshmen Will Redshirt This Season?
Virginia Attendees Announced for ACC Basketball Tip-Off
WATCH: Brennan Armstrong Confident That UVA Offense is Improving
WATCH: UVA Commit Elijah Gertrude Shows Incredible Athleticism in Mixtape
Virginia Football Injury Report: Cypress, Kemp, Fields, and More