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
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Ever since the Cleveland Cavaliers knocked off the Boston Celtics, there has been a whole ordeal about how Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Kevin Durant’s Golden State Warriors will have the City’s third thriller with Lebron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love’s Cavs. Here’s why that shouldn’t have happened:
The Celtics had a shot to beat the Cleveland Crew, but their fans were so obsessed with how they were facing the “King,” himself that they didn’t realize how real their chance was. Sure, the Cavs played possibly the best offensive game for one team in NBA history in Game 2. In Space Jam, the Monstars led at the half 66-18, which was thought of an impossible score for one game, but the Cavs led Game 2 at the half with a score of 72-31. Sure, the deficit was slightly more in the Michael Jordan and Looney Tunes film, but it’s still a pretty incredible (or pathetic) achievement. The Cavs took that game 130-86, but believe it or not, the Cs had a shot to win the series. Game 1 was another example of Boston winning the second half, but unfortunately, that was not enough to overcome their fantastic halftime deficit. You know the story with Game 2, but Beantown took Game 3 111-108 in Cleveland to become the only team to have beaten Cleveland in the playoffs. Game 4 was a story of heartbreak for Celtics nation: Without Isaiah Thomas, due to a hip injury, and leading 57-47 at halftime, the Green team looked forward to tying the series and becoming the first team to even up the Cavs. Unfortunately, Kyrie Irving had other plans… In the third quarter, Boston scored an as per usual 23 points, yet Irving scored 21 by himself. The 40-23 third quarter put the score at the Cavaliers leading the Celtics 87-80. Now, Avery Bradley, Marcus Smart, and Al Horford’s Celtics, without their all-star point guard Thomas, had to climb back in the fourth quarter after leading all game. The Celts kept closing in, but losing it at the last moment. Finally, Cleveland broke free and became the first team to go up three games to one on Boston. If Boston could’ve strengthened their defense in the paint, they would have tied the series and headed back to Boston with some major momentum. Game 5 was barely a trifle for Cleveland: scoring 43, 37, 34, and 26 points in each quarter to total 135 points to Boston’s mere 102 ended the Eastern Conference Finals. Now, it was the Golden State Warriors’ daunting task to take LeBron back off his throne, but it may not be so daunting for the higher seeded Warriors. In Game 1, Kevin Durant unleashed a monstrous 38 point game; not only did he collect 8 rebounds, but his shots drained from every corner of the court. The thing that shut Boston down was how Kevin Love could defend Al Horford in the paint and from three-point range, the same for Kelly Olynyk; but the Cs excelled when they had both men on the court because Love could not guard both of them simultaneously. Love doesn’t have such problems against Golden State’s Durant (I mean, he’s just one guy), but KD still took the Cavs down. If Steph Curry and his fellow Warriors can continue to relax while Durant drives, this will be the easiest sweep in NBA history! One of Boston’s tactic throughout the season was having the point guard (either Thomas or Terry Rozier) drive to the hoop, but dish the ball outside the three point line at the last moment. Having drawn all the defenders in towards the paint, the shooters were usually open for a easy shot. It was extremely helpful and beneficial to the Celtics that they could have a good shooting big man, such as Olynyk or Horford, ready outside. What this would do is bring their lumbering opponent outside, and unable to play defense at the top of the key and around there, the defender would have trouble keeping up Beantown’s athletic big men. At this point, there would be no hulking shotblocker to snatch the ball away from Thomas or Rozier and no hotshot forward to keep up with Horford or Olynyk. This made scoring extremely easy for the top seed Celtics. Unfortunately, Kevin Love, unlike the Washington Wizards’ Marcin Gortat and Chicago Bulls’ Robin Lopez of the first two serieses, is just as athletic as Horford and Olynyk, which ultimately made that go-to tactic of Brad Steven’s team moot. Boston might have had a chance if Horford and Olynyk could have driven or hit outside shots against Love, although they would have had a better chance if IT had stayed healthy. Anyways, despite Boston’s getting trounced by the LeBron Squad, Golden State has one of the easiest jobs in the world. Jesse A. Cook June 2, 2017 “How Boston Could've Won And Why The City Will” |
AuthorJesse Cook: High school junior. Does play-by-play for the Sharon Varsity Eagles softball, soccer, volleyball, basketball, and football teams. Fanatic of the Boston and Cincinnati teams in the Big Four sports. Designs graphics of athletes, politicians, and musicians at Picsart.com. Archives
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