Boston Celtics Balancing Marcus Smart and Terry Rozier
The Boston Celtics look like they could have a great balance of Marcus Smart and Terry Rozier on the second unit
The Boston Celtics decided they were going to let their second unit run the show, by benching all three of Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward and Al Horford. They responded perfectly, giving the Celtics their most impressive preseason win so far.
The best part of that game was easily Marcus Smart and Terry Rozier, who made it clear that they are a step above the usual reserve players in this league, and they are going to play significant roles for the Celtics.
The biggest problem appears to be the two of them are going to play similar roles. They were deadly with the ball in their hands. Smart was looking like a player who can score on all three levels, while hitting the most difficult passes on the team.
Rozier looked completely in control, driving to the paint and punishing opponents any way he wanted. Add on some shooting and these two both look like they can run that second unit offense and create a lot of problems for opponents.
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This is on top of what we already know on the defensive end. Fortunately, they will never get in each other’s way in that end. Rozier has special athleticism that allows him to dominate on the boards, and has a knack for catching opponents of guard.
Smart has shown that his lost weight has not impacted his strength at all, and now he has the quickness to defend the faster players on top of the bigger players. The two of them are going to terrorize teams on defense, and it is going to be a lot of fun seeing them abuse opposing second units.
Where the Celtics need to figure out how to balance them is on offense. The problem is they both look at their best when they are handling the ball and instigating the offense. With Stevens this is never too big of a problem, because they always move the ball as a unit, with everyone expected to play on and off the ball.
The difficulty is going to be in balancing who will be instigating the offense. They will not play all their minutes together, because Smart will certainly be spending enough time with the starters. That being said, they will inevitably be on the court together, and the Celtics will need to make sure they are helping each other, and not getting in each other’s way.
With Rozier, you have an option that will ferociously push the pace, and keep the opponents on edge and tired the entire time. Smart may take a more patient approach, allowing the offense to function at a higher level, and getting a quality shot rather than a quicker shot.
The other thing they have to consider is what the other one will be doing off the ball. Based on preseason, they both look like players that might be knocking down their open shots on a consistent basis, which would be a first for both of them.
That being said, it is a small sample size, and chances are both these players will inevitably fall into shooting slumps. Regulating those shooting struggles will be a key in balancing who handles the ball.
If both of them are able to get the offense functioning in a way that Stevens likes, then who plays off the ball more will have a lot to do with who is shooting better. We know that Rozier will always be a threat to drive to the rim, and Smart can be the one he dishes out to.
The problem is if Smart is not hitting those shots, then he offense would be better off putting the ball in his hands, and allowing Rozier to move around and try to get a quality look closer to the rim.
It will certainly be a fluid situation for the second unit. You could also see Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown get some minutes as offensive instigators with the second unit, but it will primarily be Smart or Rozier.
Stevens is comfortable using multiple ball handlers, and both Rozier and Smart have shown comfort playing on and off the ball. That will allow Stevens to have a fluid balance of who is playing what role.
Stevens will have no problem adapting those offensive roles based on what is working better, and with two players that are so inconsistent, there is a good chance that what is working better will be changing all the time.
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The second unit has a lot of different things they can try out this season, and it is great that all signs are pointing to both Smart and Rozier being difference makers on both ends for that unit.