The Boston Celtics have undoubtedly been the most surprising team in the 2017-18 NBA season and through the playoffs. At the forefront of their recent success has been the stellar play of point guard Terry Rozier.
Although he had been a solid contributor all year long, Rozier burst onto the scene when he made the most of his first career start by recording a triple-double. According to Paul Flannery of SB Nation, he was admittedly surprised when head coach Brad Stevens gave him the starting nod:
Truth be told, there were no other options, but Rozier was still skeptical that his time had come. “I didn’t believe him because I’ve been here three years, and I ain’t started not one time,” Rozier recalled. “Obviously, I saw how serious he was and I had the whole day to prepare myself to be ready. Things worked out and I got a triple-double.”
Needless to say, he made the most of it by registering 17 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. He became just the second player in NBA history to record a triple-double in his first career start. More importantly, Rozier has proven that it was no fluke thanks to his performance in the playoffs thus far.
He has taken on a heavy role for Boston with the absence of point guard Kyrie Irving. Rozier is currently averaging 18.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game. Although Stevens has made it clear that the starting five will continue to be a toss-up, it is safe to assume that Rozier will remain a fixture in the lineup moving forward.
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