As the Miami Heat prepare for the Boston Celtics Sunday afternoon in the midst of winning four of their last five games, there could be a “scary” connection brewing in South Florida on the team. That tandem would be the starting back-court of the Heat as newcomer Terry Rozier and star Tyler Herro continue to build their chemistry and provide problems for opposing defenses, a trend head coach Erik Spoelstra has noticed according to Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel.
“I think you’re going to see Tyler and Terry build an even better connection with more minutes, games, the shootaround, the film sessions and the few practices that we’ll have the opportunity to partake in,” Spoelstra said. “But you see the speed, quickness and skill that they each have. And the two-man actions, or drive and kicks, slip screens, or the screens, any of these kinds of actions I think are tough to guard, particularly when they do it with a motor and burst, and doing things with a pace…I think that they can give us a lot of firepower and a boost,” Spoelstra said, “and in the middle of different rotations.”
Rozier has been on the team for the past few weeks after being traded from the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Kyle Lowry and a 2027 first-round pick. Since then, he has gradually got more and more in to the Heat way of going about business. As more and more time passes on with Herro and Rozier in the starting lineup, Spoelstra says that it gives the team “firepower and a boost.”
“I think that they can give us a lot of firepower and a boost,” Spoelstra said. “And in the middle of different rotations.”
Rozier's first practice with Miami, despite being with team for few weeks
Despite being with the team for a few weeks now as said before, Friday marked the first full practice Rozier has been through with Miami besides shoot-arounds and warm-ups before games. Due to the scheduling of the contests since he has been here and the much-talked about team meeting and film session that took pace right after the seven-game losing streak, the stars have not aligned for Rozier to practice
“This is our first one,” Rozier said Friday to the media. “It feels good just to get up and down with these guys and put a lot more things in that we can get better at in the game. So it was good to get up and down with the guys.”
While Rozier was already building chemistry from the games he was playing in, there is no doubt that practice only helps with the bonds he is forming plus ironing out the details of plays ran by the Heat. He said after Friday practice to the meida that “with time, it will get better.”
“Just doing things with pace, actually going over the plays and stuff like,” Rozier said. “Not like when we call a play in the game, somebody’s got to tell me where to go. With time, it will get better. I’m just happy we got to get up and down today.”
With time, Rozier and Heat can be dangerous
So far in nine games played with the Heat, he is averaging 12.6 points, 5.6 assists, and 4.6 rebounds per game while shooting 35.7 percent from the field. However, Rozier stressed that “things couldn't be better” for the 29-year old.
“It’s going to help me chill out and find a spot,” Rozier said. “I’ve been trying to find a spot down here. Things have been great. I’m blessed. I have no complaints. Things couldn’t be better.”
As Rozier mentioned, it will take time to get acclimated with his new team, especially since his heavy usage with the Hornets will not totally translate in Miami. While he averaged over 20 points per game in Charlotte, he joins a Heat team that has three others in Herro, Jimmy Butler, and Bam Adebayo.
He has said time and time again that he understands that and wants to be a part of a winning team which Miami has done a lot of in the past. His next chance will be against his former team in the Boston Celtics as Miami is 28-24 on the season which puts them seventh in the Eastern Conference.
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