The Boston Celtics have struggled to give any of their rookies a consistent role this season. R.J Hunter started getting more significant minutes towards the beginning of the season, but that did not last. Once the Celtics settled into the rotation that they have consistently used since the All Star break, Hunter rarely became an option outside of garbage time.
Jordan Mickey, perhaps the Celtics’ most promising rookie, has had it even worse. Mickey has dominated the D League and had flashes of greatness in limited garbage time minutes, but he almost never played significant minutes in a game. It should only be a matter of time but Mickey is yet to be given an opportunity to prove what he can do conssitenly in the NBA.
Then there is Terry Rozier. The most scrutinized pick of last years draft came into this season with lower expectations than both Mickey and Hunter. And now, he has managed to become a part of the rotation, largely thanks to the consecutive injuries as of late opening up a spot in the rotation that has consistently been filled by Rozier.
It began when Jae Crowder went down with his injury which lasted around 2 weeks. Evan Turner moved over to small forward and a guard spot in the rotation opened up. Brad Stevens loves the aggressive defense that Rozier plays and that gave him the trust to put him in over Hunter or even James Young. Rozier never got things going on the offensive end but once he became a part of the rotation he began playing phenomenally well within Stevens’ system.
The number one thing for Rozier has been his aggressiveness and it is paying off. Rozier has a higher rebound rate than any other player his height or shorter and per 36 minutes he is averaging 7.6 rebounds per game. Rozier is always staying active and attentive on the court and he is contributing to the volume of opportunities for the Celtics. Offensive rebounds go a long way but keeping opponents off the offensive boards is even more important. Because of their pace, the Celtics cannot afford to give their opponents those extra opportunities.
Rozier is shooting terribly from all over the court and that has hurt the team at times. The mentality, however, has remained exactly the same. The Celtics need players that will be aggressive and will not hesitate when they have a good opportunity. Rozier is not letting the worst of struggles change his demeanour and that is crucial. Of course, Rozier will have to improve tremendously on the offensive end before he can be an impact player but he has proven that he can play within and maintain the flow of Stevens’ system.
All Rozier needed was an opportunity to prove he can make positive plays on the court and with the injuries to Crowder, Avery Bradley (who missed time for the birth of his son) and now Evan Turner, Rozier is getting the experience he needs in the rotation to be a factor in the playoffs. Rozier gives the Celtics the extra guard depth they need. Without him they certainly have enough, but Rozier has had the opportunity to prove to Stevens that if he is needed, he will have no problem filling in just fine.
Brad Stevens has always been about defense. Rozier plays in a style that is incredibly similar to Smart’s. Stevens has talked about how Smart impacts the game in various ways and Rozier has a similar effect. Their activity and aggressiveness at all times all over the court puts the team in much better positions to succeed.
Both players have been absolute disasters shooting the ball but that in no way prevents them from impacting the game in other ways. The extra opportunities generated by the aggressive plays made by Rozier, and the Celtics as a team, are what allow them to accommodate poor shooters. The Celtics have dealt with poor shooting all season long and it is because of the extra opportunities they generate that they continue to have one of the highest scoring teams in the league despite that poor shooting. If Rozier is shooting poorly but is contributing to the quantity of opportunities then he can be a positive offensive player.
The Celtics cannot play at the pace that they want when players are hesitant. It leads to a lot of mistakes and rushed plays on their part but the Celtics are at their best when they are playing fast and they need aggressiveness to maintain that system. Rozier is not intimidated by anything on the court and he makes sure to be in attack mode at all times on the court.
Next: Celtics Have Work to do Before the Playoffs
Rozier will only be a part of the rotation in the playoffs if there is an injury but he can now expect some minutes, whereas the other rookies do not have the experience in the rotation to be trusted. The Celtics’ lineup flexibility leaves a lot of room for a lot of guards to be on the court at once and if Stevens is looking for a spark of energy then Rozier will be a great option off the bench.