Next Man Up: Terry Rozier

The Boston Celtics have to find a way to overcome the devastating injury to Avery Bradley and that means rookie guard Terry Rozier will have an opportunity to prove his worth to the team. The Celtics dealt with a chain on injuries this season that began with Jae Crowder‘s two week absence. During that time, Terry Rozier was given an opportunity to get comfortable in Brad Stevens’ offense and now that experience needs to pay off.

The Celtics do not have any individual who can capture Avery Bradley’s impact on both ends. The Celtics have done a great job of adjusting this year and rather than look for a direct replacement for Bradley, this will have to accommodate a rotation without him. Rozier really does not do anything on the offensive end even close to Bradley and no one can replicate his defense.

What Rozier can bring is a level of trust that other replacements may not have. R.J Hunter is expected to get an opportunity with this injury but he never got the opportunity that Rozier did. Hunter will certainly be used to provide more of an offensive spark but Rozier has an opportunity to consistently take Bradley’s place in the rotation.

Rozier has proven that he can play within Stevens’ system and is able to contribute to their pace. Rozier is always in attack mode and never hesitates when he has an opportunity. The Celtics will need Rozier to begin to hit those shots but he will get playing time because he can be trusted to not disrupt the flow of the game.

Rozier is also the Celtics’ best shot at maintaining the defensive guard depth. Marcus Smart and Evan Turner could both provide a great defensive option to replace Bradley but that leaves little behind them. Rozier has proven that he can bring intensity on the defensive end and even if he is no where near the on ball defender that the guards ahead of him are, he can certainly contribute to the defensive activity that leads to a lot of turnovers.

Rozier has also demonstrated an incredible knack for grabbing rebounds. Rozier’s activity all over the court has made him one of the better rebounding guards in the league in limited minutes. The Celtics struggle rebounding the ball because of their lack of size and any opportunities preserved by Rozier’s rebounding goes a long way.

Smart and Turner give the Celtics the depth they need to have an adequate replacement in the starting unit but they depend on their second unit too much to have a liability behind them. Stevens may try and get creative with his lineups but you should expect Terry Rozier to be a big part of the second unit as long as Bradley is sidelined.

The Celtics do not have an option that can be expected to assume the role of Bradley. Fortunately, the Celtics have strong enough guard depth that Stevens will have other options. After the disastrous offensive display in the first half of game one Stevens may look to Hunter if they need that shooting boost but the Celtics cannot afford to have a liability on the defensive end.

Rozier gives Stevens a level of trust on the defensive end but if Stevens does not think they will get enough production on the offensive end without Bradley, then Hunter will take the place of a Rozier who has been disastrous finishing his opportunities.

Next: Celtics Needs Avery Bradley's Defense

The fact that Stevens continually went to Rozier after injuries in the regular season suggests he will get the most increased role with Bradley out of the lineup. That trust is essential in Stevens’ system but the Celtics’ depth gives them a lot of options. Unfortunately, none of those options will allow them to play as if Bradley was in the lineup. Hopefully, Stevens will find the right combination to steal a victory and home court advantage from Atlanta.