Terry Rozier

Terry Rozier
PG - 6’2, 190lbs - 24 years old - 3 years of experience

This time last year in this space, I wondered about Rozier’s future in the NBA. Danny Ainge had just supposedly spurned the chance of trading Rozier for Serge Ibaka, which as it now turns out was the right thing to do, yet I wondered in last year’s Manifesto if it would be worth trading Rozier that summer anyway, for “his value will only diminish further”.

Well, as ever, I have no idea what I’m talking about. It seems that even if Terry Rozier is not ever going to be a consistent shooter or shot maker at the NBA level, he will be a consistent and impactful-enough everything-elser to be a very solid player on this league.

Becoming the lead guard by season’s end, Rozier is a much more confident and skilled offensive player than he was. To be sure, he continued his career-long glaring inefficiencies around the basket, and still does not make nearly as many pull-up two-point jumpers as he attempts. But Rozier did this season blossom into a fine three-point shooter, off both the catch and the dribble. As he did so, he became confident; as he became confident, Kyrie Irving got injured. Rozier was now the primary ball handler and playmaker. He kept on shooting, kept on defending, kept on not turning the ball over, kept on missing layups, and became a key cog in the Celtics’ machine. He remains a limited playmaker who drives only to score, but there is no Eastern Conference Finals run this year without Terry Rozier. “Diminishing value” indeed.

So, good for Rozier, an excellent season. Remember, though, to not believe, inherit or value a single word written in this manifesto. That’s the main takeaway here.

Player Plan: One year of rookie scale salary remaining. Extension eligible. It would be nice if he took an MLE sized deal as a thank you for the continued faith in him. As leverage, point out the league-wide lack of 2019 free agency money. “You’ll get this amount anyway, Terry, so why not take it now?” Probably won’t work, though.

Terry Rozier
PG, 6’2, 190lbs, 23 years old, 2 years of experience

Supposedly kept in favour of Serge Ibaka, Rozier then faced a short leash for a year and struggled badly offensively. His physical profile and effort should make him, and already are starting to make him, into a very good point guard defender. But the offence has a lot of work to be done, both in terms of his individual scoring ability (the only shot he hits at an average level is the inefficient mid-range jump shot) and for others (where he struggles to make plays out of the pick-and-roll). With a crowded guard depth chart ahead of him that is potentially about to get more crowded, Rozier may be worth trading - if he is kept, his value will only diminish further if he is not played, and if he does not improve upon his level of play. His potential is hereby noted, though.

Player Plan: Two years of rookie scale remaining. Barring a trade, not about to climb up the guard rotation any time soon, so worth pursuing a trade for value unless the rotation opens up in front of him.