Boston Celtics: Terry Rozier Needs to Have a Consistent Impact

Terry Rozier can be exactly what the second unit needs to get their offense on the right track

The Boston Celtics put together their most complete victory of the season against the Orlando Magic, and there was no one player who carried everything by himself. Kyrie Irving was as masterful as we have ever seen, with everything that he wanted to do, Al Horford continued to make his case for best passing big in the NBA, and youngsters Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum took advantage of all their opportunities.

It does wonders for the Celtics when everything is coming together for their starters, and that alone gives them a deadly offense. The biggest difference against the Magic, however, was Terry Rozier. The Celtics have the worst shooting bench in the NBA this season, but Rozier wanted to change that with his 23 points on 8-11 shooting.

Rozier is not going to shoot that phenomenally every single game, but they do not need that every single time. Rozier had a career night against the Magic, and even if he does not match it again, he needs to be approaching it.

The second unit does not have a single player that they really trust as a scorer, but we know that Rozier has that kind of potential after a game like this. The second unit still does not have much of an offensive identity, and they need to discover who their primary scorer is going to be.

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We knew that Rozier could handle the ball and run the offense, but he transforms expectations with his ability to score like this. Rozier was comfortable all game long, and was hitting all his shots in rhythm. The best part might have been how in control Rozier was, and how naturally the points came to him.

Rozier did not have to force the issue, and that is why he was so effective. He spent more time than usual with the starters, and he showed us the kind of damage he can do when he has space. Unfortunately, he will not be getting that space on the second unit. That being said, Marcus Smart knows how to create for his teammates too, and it is time for both of them to look to get Rozier more space more often now.

Rozier’s role this season has been all over the place so far, which is fitting because his play has been all over the place. The overall sample of this season still suggests he is not a trusted shooter, but he is not clearly ahead of anyone else on that second unit. He is the only one who has really shown the potential to take over that lead role, and give this second unit a presence on offense.

There is also a good chance Rozier will get more time with the starters if he is playing this way. There is so much space created by the top offensive players on this team, and if you trust the other players on the outside then they are truly unstoppable. Rozier will have no problem getting good looks with that first unit, and we just saw how deadly he can be in the right situation.

Ideally, the Celtics need Rozier to bring that spark to the second unit, but it is much easier said than done. Everything will be harder for Rozier on the second unit, and the kind of efficiency he had against the Magic may be far too unrealistic. That being said, we can clearly see that Rozier has the ability to improve his 36 percent from the field, and his 35 percent from three is trending in the right direction.

We know that Rozier will continue to get minutes, because he is a top rebounder and a strong defender. He will continue to be one of the most important players on the second unit, but that performance against the Magic showed a different gear, adding a whole lot more intrigue.

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Rozier brings a lot more hope for the second unit offense, and that is what the Celtics need most right now. They have a lot of issues that need to be addressed, but getting that scoring presence off the bench could be the biggest upgrade this Celtics team can get all season long.