March 22, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Louisville Cardinals guard Terry Rozier (0) moves the ball against Northern Iowa Panthers forward Seth Tuttle (10) during the first half in the third round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at KeyArena. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Dumbfounded. There’s no other word to describe Boston Celtics fans when they heard Adam Silver announce Terry Rozier as the 16th pick in last night’s draft.
And then the questions began. Would Rozier be traded in a package to Philadelphia for Jahlil Okafor? Does this mean the Celtics are trading Marcus Smart? Now the Celtics have to pick a big man at 28, right?
It turns out that, at least last night, none of these were true, meaning that the Celtics are currently backcourt heavy with Smart, Rozier, Isaiah Thomas, Avery Bradley, James Young and RJ Hunter playing the guard positions. It would appear that this means the Celtics have six quality rotation players for four spots. Something has to give.
Feb 21, 2015; Louisville, KY, USA; Louisville Cardinals guard Terry Rozier (0) shoots against Miami (Fl) Hurricanes forward Ivan Cruz Uceda (33) during the second half at KFC Yum! Center. Louisville defeated Miami 55-53. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports
But, as of right now, it appears that the Celtics are going to hold onto Rozier. So who is this player who Danny Ainge so desperately needed to add to the backcourt?
The first impression everyone has of Rozier is his speed. The 6’2″ guard is lightening quick, which made him a perfect fit defensively in Louisville’s pressing scheme. Rozier runs light on his feet, similar to John Wall, but still has the athleticism and strength of a player like Marcus Smart. He’s not as good as either Wall or Smart, but he’s somewhat in the mold of a combination of both players’ body types.
Quickness is a terrific skill to have in the NBA. It helps defensively, shooting into passing lanes and running to help double team or switch and recover. Rozier has this fantastic defensive ability and potential, leading the ACC in steals, although he can sometimes be a bit “antsy” when reaching defensively.
Offensively, Rozier’s quickness served him well and will continue to be his primary weapon. It allows him to get to the basket pretty much at will, and his ability to change speeds helps him in the pick-and-roll. Rozier is a proficient scorer when coming off the pick and rolls, always going full-steam-ahead toward the rim, creating contact, and finishing at the rim. He can dunk easily, and is definitely capable of becoming a solid scorer at the next level.
Offensively, Rozier’s quickness served him well and will continue to be his primary weapon.
Rozier does, however, need to work on his playmaking abilities. When coming around the pick-and-roll, he usually doesn’t look to pass and can end up taking bad shots from time-to-time as a result. It’s not the end of the world, but its something to improve; look at a guy like Russell Westbrook who is able to score at will, even if he sometimes misses open teammates. (Just to be clear, Rozier isn’t Westbrook.)
Rozier led the ACC and ranked 10th in the NCAA in shots attempted per game. This could become a telling stat for Rozier as a self-centered player, or it could be product of his environment. At Louisville, there was really no other players who could create their shot. Montrezl Harrell scored most of his points on lobs and putbacks, while swingman Wayne Blackshear didn’t turn into the type of offensive player Louisville coach Rick Pitino had hoped. So is Rozier a selfish player, or was he simply giving his team what they needed? Only time will tell.
Along the perimeter, Rozier isn’t much of a shooter. Teams can leave him open from three-point land, but Celtics fans should be used to this with Rajon Rondo in years past. He’s not quite as poor of a shooter as Rondo, but Rozier isn’t going to make teams pay for leaving him open. Off the pick-and-roll, however, Rozier gets much better lift on his shot and can knock down a mid-range jumper. This mid-range ability helps him be able to get all the way to the rim on subsequent possessions.
Feb 23, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Louisville Cardinals guard Terry Rozier (0) attempts a free throw in the first half of their game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at McCamish Pavilion. The Cardinals won 52-51. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
So Rozier isn’t a bad player; it’s not like the Celtics drafted a Euro-stash player who may never see the lights of the TD Garden. The question, therefore, is how a quick, athletic, shoot-first point guard who can’t shoot from long-range fits on the Celtics roster.
The easy answer is to say that more moves are coming for the Celtics, and that’s probably correct. There’s simply no way in which the Celtics can play all six of their rotation guards. Basic mathematics tells us that some player has to be on the move. There are, however, ways the Rozier could fit with some players in the current Celtics backcourt (that is, if he gets any minutes to play).
First, Rozier knows how to play both with the ball in his hands as well as off the ball. Before a suspension that sent fellow backcourt mate Chris Jones packing, Rozier spent most of his time playing the shooting guard position. He won’t create much space off the ball, but he has proven that he can both score on and defend shooting guards in certain lineups because of his elite athleticism.
In this sense, Rozier could be much like Smart, who played with Isaiah Thomas as the other guard in many lineups. It might not be a consistent lineup to play 82 games a year, but it could be useful for the playoffs when the games get tighter and the team needs as much playmaking as it can get. The Celtics were in desperate need of playmaking before Thomas was acquired in February. Although Thomas improved the team’s ability to score, he can’t shoulder the load all by himself; Rozier could help in this department.
In addition, Rozier will benefit from the shooting abilities of Thomas, Young, and Hunter. These shooters will allow him more space to create off the dribble. He will have to learn how to drive-and-kick, attacking the rim and finding his teammates along the perimeter.
He might not be the perfect fit in Boston, but Rozier is a solid player who will have a chance to make an impact at the next level. Yes, it’s discouraging to see Ainge draft another guard, but Rozier opens up the flexibility (and necessity) that Ainge sends some players packing.