Hayward Injured
With the gruesome injury to star forward Gordon Hayward, the Boston Celtics season filled with so much promise looks very different. It’s doubtful that Hayward will return this season. That means the Celtics will need to find a replacement and certain players will need to step up. A lot of focus has been placed on former first-round picks Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. One player who could step up and surprise everyone is Terry Rozier. He has steadily improved every year and so far this season he looks poised for a breakout season.
Performance So Far
The Celtics drafted Rozier in the first round of the 2015 NBA draft. Last year Rozier played in a career high 74 games and is coming off an impressive preseason. Rozier has looked like a different player for multiple reasons. Through three games Rozier is averaging 12.7 points while shooting a career high 48.3 %. He is shooting the ball with more confidence than ever before. In the Celtics opener, Rozier scored nine points. However in the Celtics following two games he scored 29 points combined. He’s more aggressive offensively while making hustle plays on defense. In addition to hustle plays, he’s aggressive on the glass with 17 rebounds through the first three games.
Rozier Has Something To Prove
Coming into the season, Rozier was one of the four returning Celtics from last year’s roster. He is well known by Celtics fans but for the wrong reasons. Rozier has frequently come up in trade rumors but General Manager Danny Ainge has refused to trade him because of his potential. It seems as if Rozier heard those rumors. The Celtics will have to decide next season on whether to extend Rozier once his rookie deal expires. With the Hayward injury, Rozier will get more playing time but he has to earn it. If he can continue playing with this aggression then this will be a big year for him. In the end Rozier could make Ainge look very smart for not trading him. That is a problem the Celtics wouldn’t mind having. Terry Rozier is not only poised for big things this year but also the future.
