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A case can be made that Boston Celtics guard Terry Rozier is the best backup point guard in the league. Rozier, who started for the Celtics in the 2018 playoffs, will be the backup point guard again now that Kyrie Irving is healthy, and the rugged defender says he’s fine with his role and only cares about winning.
In 19 games during the Celtics’ postseason run last season, Rozier averaged 16.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game while shooting 40.6 percent from the field and 34.7 percent from beyond the arc. The 24-year-old is entering the final year of his contract and will surely get a healthy raise next summer from the $3 million he will make this season.
Celtics head coach Brad Stevens, who said in August his team has maybe 10 guys that are starters in this league, will be tasked with the challenge of distributing his minutes throughout the regular season efficiently. Stevens knows Rozier will play a big role this year and says he has to find a way to get the scoring guard as many minutes as possible.
Stevens on Rozier: “I have to figure out how to get him as many minutes as possible.”
— Brian Robb (@BrianTRobb) October 1, 2018
Irving underwent season-ending knee surgery in April, and then had another procedure to remove screws which were placed in his knee from the injury he suffered in the 2015 Finals when he was with the Cleveland Cavaliers. While Irving is 100 percent now, Stevens would be smart to have Irving on a minutes restriction during the regular season to preserve his body for the playoffs. The Celtics are lucky to have Terry Rozier on the roster and should utilize his talents to the max.
