Terry Rozier’s play has become that of a star’s level and by 2020 he will not be a Boston Celtic. This season, Rozier has played less like a backup and more like a starter for an up-and-coming team. A big reason, his play has picked up is largely thanks to his new mentor in number 11. “Kyrie's probably one of my biggest supporters outside of my family through this little process,” Rozier said. “So I know he's happy for me. And when he comes back he's going to pick it up.” Isaiah Thomas was a great player for Boston in his three years leading the team, but Kyrie Irving has much more to teach about being and playing alongside a star. Rozier, this season, off the bench, is putting up staggering numbers that boggle even the minds of the top NBA analysts. He’s scoring 10.1 points per game, 2.4 assists per game and recording 4.6 rebounds per game. The starter for the New York Knicks, Jarrett Jack, is nowhere near as good. He’s only scoring 7.6 points per game, with 5.9 assists per game and recording 3.2 rebounds per game. Rozier easily beats him in points and rebounds and it’s not close. Ish Smith, the starter for the Detroit Pistons is not much better than Rozier: He’s scored 10.5 points per game, 4.4 assists per game, and he’s recorded 2.8 rebounds per game. Again, this is a starter of a borderline playoff team, Smith, compared to a backup, Rozier; and the backup is keeping up the pace. J.J. Redick of the Philadelphia 76ers has scored slightly more than Rozier, but his rebounds and assists have consequently suffered: Scoring 17.0 points per game, 3.2 assists per game, and 2.7 rebounds per game as a starter, he is on a playoff team. Rozier, as a backup is recording more assists and rebounds than the starter of a successful team, and playing the Celtic backup is playing 14.4 minutes less per game. The Minnesota Timberwolves are the four seed in the Western Conference, arguably the better conference, and their point guard, Jeff Teague, only surpasses Rozier by leaps and bounds in one category, assists. He only scores 12.9 points per game, 7.1 assists per game, and 2.9 rebounds per game. Granted, he’s passing to Jimmy Butler and Karl-Anthony Towns, but Rozier also has Jaylen Brown, Al Horford and Jayson Tatum in his arsenal (he’s rarely on the floor with Irving), so clearly, Rozier is not far behind.
The Denver Nuggets’ Jamal Murray parallels Redick in the sense that, while he surpasses the belligerent Boston backup in points per game by only a few, Rozier leads him in assists and rebounds. Murray scored 16.3 points per game, 2.4 assists per game, and only 3.0 rebounds per game. The Los Angeles Clippers, though recently losing Blake Griffin in a trade to the Pistons, are knocking on the door of the eight seed in the West. Their starting point guard, however, Milos Teodosic has only scored 9.2 points per game, 5.3 assists per game, and 3.1 rebounds per game. Rozier clearly has a leg up over yet another star team. Many teams are evidently in dire need of a star bringing the ball up the court. If this season has proved nothing else, it has proved that Terry Rozier III is exactly the man to take the helm for a good team. Jesse A. Cook “Terry Rozier Will Star In Another City” February 14, 2018
1 Comment
|
NBAThe Otherside page for all things NBA. Archives
June 2018
Categories
All
|