BOSTON -- As the Celtics continue to inch closer towards the start of the regular season, you’ll hear a lot about the need for players to sacrifice minutes, primarily for the well-being of the team.
Terry Rozier will be among those who will likely see less playing time this season.
But as we’ve seen in the early going, less time doesn’t mean his impact will be any less than what we saw in the latter stages of last year.
Rozier delivered another solid outing in as many preseason performances in Boston’s 115-112 win over Charlotte on Sunday night. The 6-foot-2 guard came off the bench and scored 13 points on 5-for-10 shooting from the field while finding time to snag four rebounds and dish out four assists with three steals in just 20 minutes of court time.
“I’m just out there being comfortable,” Rozier told NBC Sports Boston. “Obviously, we have a special team. It’s only our first week together, but I feel good out there. We’re just trying to get back into season mode.”
For Rozier, returning to where he was at basketball-wise at the end of last season would bode well for him and the Celtics.
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Filling in for a sidelined Kyrie Irving in the playoffs, Rozier quickly established himself as being more than just a part-time replacement for Irving, who is a five-time All-Star.
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Rozier showed the promise and potential to run a team as both a playmaker and scorer, something we hadn't seen from him with the kind of consistency he showed in helping lead Boston to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Rozier, 24, had 19 starts in the playoffs, averaging 16.5 points with 5.7 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game.
He's no different than most NBA players in his desire to be a starter in this league. As we saw last season, him coming off the bench has more to do with those around him – Irving specifically – than his talent.
“Terry’s a stud,” said coach Brad Stevens. “We said that last year when he took over the starting duties. When he comes in, he brings us unbelievable energy.”
And it’s not just the coach who raves about him, either.
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“He’s a starting point guard in this league,” teammate Marcus Morris told NBC Sports Boston.
Rozier says the confidence that comes with being an impact player coming off the bench, stems from the battles in practice against Boston’s first unit.
“It’s a battle when we play,” Rozier said. “And we just carry that over to the court. We want to beat up all the second unit guys in the league. We’re trying to make that known.”
Said Stevens: “I think everyone in this league, everyone that watches this league knows that Terry Rozier can really play.”
And he does, well aware that there’s so much more he can do as a player but won’t because that’s not necessarily what’s in the best interest of the team.
“There’s guys that have to give a little,” said Stevens in reference to Rozier and several other key players who come off the Boston bench. “Those guys have stepped forward and accepted that already, and played at a very high level which is really encouraging.”