Rozier looking really good this year

[crimson_stallion]

With all the drama that has happened so far, Terry Rozier has largely flown under the radar - but he looked very nice in the preseason and he's performed very nicely in the first two games.

Yesterday: 9 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals, 0 turnovers, 19 minutes

Today: 15 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, 0 turnovers, 26 minutes

Average: 12 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, 0 turnovers, 22.5 minutes, 44.4% FG, 50% 3PT

Average Per 36: 19.2 points, 8 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 4.8 steals, 0 turnovers, 44.4% FG, 50% 3PT.

Just wanted to show some love to Rozier, who often gets hated on / ignored here, but should finally get a big opportunity this year to show what he can do. 

I really feel he could be an X-Factor for the Celtics, along with Tatum and Brown.

[blink]

100% yes.  We have to find more ways to keep him on the court if possible.  I really hope he can keep up this awesome start.  Terry has played great.

[crimson_stallion]

I'm especially intrigued by the 8 assists and 0 turnovers over the first two games, because this is not a one off. 

He had 32 assists to 10 turnovers in last years playoffs and 131 assists to 47 turnovers in the regular season.  That's a combined 171 assists to 57 turnovers since the start of last season, which puts him at a 3:1 assist-to-turnover ratio over that stretch - that is elite for an NBA PG. 

To put it into perspective just how elite that is, the career AST-TO ratio for some recent elite NBA Point Guards:

* Chris Paul (4.1 : 1)
* John Stockton (3.7 : 1)
* Magic Johnson (2.9 : 1)
* John Wall (2.4 : 1)
* James Harden (1.7 : 1)
* Russell Westbrook (2.0 : 1)
* Steve Nash (3.0 : 1)
* Jason Kidd (3.0 : 1)
* Rajon Rondo (2.93 : 1)
* Steph Curry (2.15 : 1)
* Derrick Rose (2.1 : 1)

As you can see from the figures above, an AST-TO ratio of ~3.0 is an indication of elite (I mean TRULY elite) skills as a pure PG.  Most scoring oriented PG's struggle to crack the 2.0 barrier.

Marcus Smart's career number is 2.3 : 1 which is actually pretty solid, but Rozier has been even more impressive in this regard. 

His current career Assist-Turnover ratios are:
* Regular season:  2.6 : 1 (114 games @ 14.0 MPG)
* Playoff: 3.2 : 1 (22 games @ 17.1 MPG

While the sample size is small, it's big enough to draw intrigue.  Those assist-turnover numbers put him in pretty elite company, and shows flashes of his potential as a PG.

[liam]

He really has. I was dogging him all last year and he deserved some of it. He really played well in the playoffs last year and he seems even better right now. He is one of the best rebounding guards I've ever seen. He gets to the rim well. The whole team needs to work on finishing at the rim. Tatum missed that bunny. The Celtics have a lot of little things that they need to clean up but Terry Rozier and the rest of this team can fly.

[D Dub]

And he's our best perimeter shooter. 

And most experienced bench player with Smart starting. 

That's an awful lot of combined youth and poor 3 point shooting.

Kyrie won't see spacing all year long without Gordon around.

[crimson_stallion]

And he's our best perimeter shooter. 

And most experienced bench player with Smart starting. 

That's an awful lot of combined youth and poor 3 point shooting.

Kyrie won't see spacing all year long without Gordon around.

Technically that would be Baynes - though Rozier is our longest tenured bench player

[Snakehead]

Rozier has looked real good.  Got to be happy with his three, his lay ups (he does a nice job using his length and holding the ball out and high now) and his steals coming from rotating off his man have been real big.

[mr. dee]

His development really ease up the loss of AB somehow.

[GRADYCOLNON]

hope he continues with this play.  Next step is to make plays for his teammates. 

[Ilikesports17]

He has been terrific thus far.

Definitely a bright spot.

[manl_lui]

His development really ease up the loss of AB somehow.

idk why but seeing him do well these past two games i actually have another fear, of him eventually replacing Smart and Danny letting him walk

[nickagneta]

Really see Rozier as the player the Celtics hold onto between him and Smart.

[crimson_stallion]

Really see Rozier as the player the Celtics hold onto between him and Smart.

I agree.

I like Smart in a lot of ways, but I feel Rozier has a far higher chance of being a star (or even fringe star) in this league.

He's not as good a defender as Smart obviously, but has such an impressive all round talent set - between his physical talents and basketball talents.  I could easily see him developing into a poor man's Russell Westbrook and putting up something like 18 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 2.5 steals a couple of years from now, and his outside shot looks better every year.

His ability to bring energy off the bench on both ends of the court, at either guard position, could make him the ultimate 6th man for this team once Hayward returns next year. 

Smart is a consistently solid and is a definitive glue guy, but even now (after his offseason improvements) his limitations still seem pretty obvious to me.  I see him as a poor man's Victor Oladipo thus far - and if Rozier, Brown and Tatum continue to play they way they have so far, he'll have his work cut out for him as far as contract negotiations go. 

P.s.
The way Tatum is rebounding so far (10 rebounds yesterday, 9 today) I'm not entirely sure he'll be giving up that starting PF job to Marcus Morris after all.  Keep fighting out there young man!!!

[Snakehead]

https://twitter.com/NBA_Math/status/921007131892924417

Rozier looking great there so far.   I was thinking about it more and I actually am thinking there's a great argument to start him and let Smart try to run things on the second unit more.  I believe Rozier's shooting and ability to attack could be a big help.

[indeedproceed]

Really see Rozier as the player the Celtics hold onto between him and Smart.

I agree with this, but chiefly because I see Ainge getting Rozier to sign one of those killer AB-type extensions. Smart isn't doing that.