Terry Rozier will have to fight to maintain large role with the Boston Celtics

Terry Rozier has done more than enough to solidify his role with the Boston Celtics, but will still have to fight to keep it

The Boston Celtics are welcoming both Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward back this offseason, and they are joining a team that was a couple shots away from taking down LeBron James in the Eastern Conference Finals.

There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that Terry Rozier was as important as anyone to that run. He stepped into his role as the primary ball handler, and handled more than anyone could have imagined.

He played at a clear starter caliber level, but also realizes that his role next season is going to be off the bench. Kyrie Irving is next level talent, and it is great to see Rozier embrace a role learning from him.

Obviously, Rozier is not going to have the kind of role he was given in the playoffs, but he might have to worry about even more of that. Rozier can be the best sixth man in the entire NBA, but he is still going to have competition to be the first option off the bench.

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We immediately know that the Celtics will not need to lean on Rozier for much offense. Even with the second unit, they have enough talent to stagger starters that will prevent Rozier from being the real number one option on the court.

The problem for Rozier is that he is a streaky rhythm player. He wants to have the ball in his hands, and is at his best when he is dictating the terms of the game. With the talent around him right now, he cannot even take that role off the bench for granted.

Don’t get me wrong, Rozier did more than enough these playoffs to earn that role. Stevens certainly trusts him, but the bottom line is that he has to use the players that he will get the best results from.

Rozier looks like the primary option off the bench right now, but he will be battling to maintain that role. Rozier needs to prove that Stevens is not going to be better off making one of the five starters a primary option, staggered to the second unit. He needs to raise his own personal standard, because the quality of the talent on this team is growing tremendously.

Rozier needs to prove that he can continue to have some of the best ball protection in the NBA, while getting rid of his streaky shooting. Rozier is certainly in a position to improve, and he will need that improvement to be that primary option off the bench.

If, however, he plays out of control and cannot have a consistent impact, then his usage will absolutely plummet, because they have plenty of other options to go to. The Celtics can get the ball handling they need from the top five players. On top of that, there is a good chance Marcus Smart will be there to eat up the most significant minutes off the bench, and Daniel Theis can offer something more unique than Rozier.

You even have to think about Marcus Morris, who could take over some of his responsibilities if he can establish himself as a more efficient finisher.

Having Rozier come off the bench is an amazing luxury for the Celtics, because he would be a starter on a lot of teams in this league. The reality is that still does not guarantee him any role on this team.

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With so much talent and the best depth in the NBA, there will be pressure on every single player to maintain the role that they desire. Rozier can be a crucial piece of this team next year, but he still has to fight to show that he will be the best option in that position,

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