What Can Celtics Expect From Terry Rozier?
BOSTON – It's been four days since the completion of an underwhelming 2015 NBA Draft for the Celtics and fans are still trying to make sense of a perplexing evening for the green.
Danny Ainge was unable to pull off a trade to move up, a situation that has become more understandable with the benefit of time. The hefty asking price by teams in the top 10 has been uncovered in a variety of reports and it's easy to see why Boston balked at a deal. Ainge trusts his scouting department and did not want to mortgage his collection of future picks beyond the two additional first round selections he was reportedly offering Charlotte for the No. 9 pick.
Instead, the trades will come later this summer, likely during free agency and training camp, as Ainge attempts to navigate a very crowded roster. The biggest question remaining in the meantime is Terry Rozier, Boston's top pick at No. 16.
Another guard? Is that what the Celtics needed right now? Absolutely not, but when you are following the best player available mantra, position doesn't matter.
Moves will eventually be made in the backcourt to free up some playing time for the hybrid guard, but what can Celtics fans expect from the former Louisville star? Let's take a closer look at his strengths and weaknesses.
THE GOOD
Defense: Ainge loves his tenacious guards and he got another one in Rozier to play with (or replace) Marcus Smart and Avery Bradley. Rozier is long, has strong instincts, fights through screens, doesn't give up on plays and was raved about for his play on this end despite playing a 2-3 zone most of his time at Louisville. His size at 6-foot-1 could be limiting, but with the talent at the position around the NBA now, backcourt defenders are becoming more of a priority.
Speed/Athleticism: Boston struggled in this department for much of last year before Isaiah Thomas came to town in February. It's hard to create on the offensive end if you can't get by anyone, and Boston's backcourt, outside of Thomas, wasn't particularly useful at that feat. The 5-foot-9 frame of Thomas brings plenty of limitations on the defensive end, so Rozier will be able to be more of a two-way player on that front.
"I think he'll live in the paint, I think he has that kind of speed," Ainge said of Rozier on draft night. "And he has that kind of ball-handling skills, too. He has some good change of pace, change of direction. Spacing will be very important for every guard, but I think he's proven that he's as athletic as NBA guards."
THE POTENTIAL PITFALLS
Outside Shooting: One of the top priorities for Ainge this offseason was adding some reliable shooting to his lineup from the perimeter and Rozier doesn't qualify for that department. He hit just 30 percent of his attempts from downtown last year, and the Celtics will likely be lucky if he follows the Marcus Smart rookie path and becomes an adequate NBA 3-point shooter in year one.
Bad Shot Selection: To preface, Rozier carried a heavy load on a subpar Louisville offense that didn't have a lot of shooters. Still, Rozier's finishing abilities were not pretty during his two years in the ACC. According to DraftExpress, Rozier hit just 40 percent of his shots when combining his attempts at the rim and on floaters. That's brutal efficiency and will not be helpful to a Celtics offense that lacks consistent contributors.
There are many reasons to question how those numbers will translate to the pros. On the plus side, spacing can be better in the NBA with the three-point line and Rozier won't have the green light and onus on him to take so many shots in the paint. However, Rozier's small frame won't be helped by facing off with NBA big men, and the hybrid guard is more of a scorer than a passer when he gets into the lane.
Like any player, there's room for growth in these areas. Despite his warts, this is a prospect that Celtics fans will warm up to once they see him on the floor, because of the effort he plays with. The start of an imposing defensive core at the guard and wing spots is in place for the time being with Smart, Rozier, Bradley, and Jae Crowder set to return.
Now it's time for Ainge to find some offense to put around that group.
Brian Robb covers the Celtics for CBS Boston and contributes to NBA.com, among other media outlets. You can follow him on Twitter @CelticsHub.
