NBA Rumors: Terry Rozier Talks About Playing Under Kyrie Irving And Isaiah Thomas And His Future With Hornets
Terry Rozier, the No. 16 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, spent the first four years of his NBA career playing as a backup point guard for the Boston Celtics. Luckily, after a sign-and-trade deal that sent him to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Kemba Walker took place in the 2019 NBA free agency, Rozier’s days coming off the bench are finally over.
Aside from being the starting point guard, most people are now considering Terry Rozier as the new leader of the Hornets. Kemba Walker may have failed to help the Hornets win their first NBA championship title, but he has done lots of great things for the city of Charlotte. However, in an interview with Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald, Rozier doesn’t seem to be pressured about filling the void left by Walker.
Instead of being worried, Terry Rozier is excited for what is waiting for him in Charlotte. Rozier said that he has long been preparing for that type of challenge since he entered the league in 2015.
“It’s a big task, but something I was always trying to prepare myself for,” Rozier said. “I’ve been in the league four years. Who doesn’t want to be the starter or leader of a team? I’ve had a chance to talk to the young guys. Will be fun, a nice journey. It’s a huge step. Very crazy, all over the place. You have to consider a lot – money, where you’re going to stay. I thank God for being able to choose between teams. Them believing in me (is what’s important). You want a team that wants you.”
OFFICIAL: Charlotte Hornets Acquire Terry Rozier from Boston Celtics in sign-and-trade deal for Kemba Walker.
?: https://t.co/xp7HmExHGW#BuzzCity pic.twitter.com/OyDiuYaWPg
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) July 7, 2019
Despite going through lots of ups and downs during his four-year stint in Boston, Terry Rozier has been appreciative of all the things he learned from the Celtics. Rozier said that he’s “thankful” that the Celtics gave him the opportunity to serve as the backup for two elite point guards in the league – Isaiah Thomas and Kyrie Irving. Rozier said that his time playing under Thomas and Irving greatly helped him prepare for the next big step in his NBA career.
Terry Rozier may be mostly coming off the bench with the Celtics, but when Kyrie Irving suffered an injury during the 2017-18 NBA season, he managed to prove that he’s ready for the starting role. In the 2018 NBA Playoffs, Rozier was one of the young players who stepped up and led the Celtics to the Eastern Conference Finals where they forced a Game 7 against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
In the 19 postseason games he played as the Celtics’ starting point guard, Terry Rozier averaged 16.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 1.3 steals on 40.6 percent shooting from the field and 34.7 percent shooting from beyond the arc. Those numbers will likely go up once he starts playing for the Hornets where he’s expected to receive a much bigger role on the offensive end of the floor.
