After spending the first four years of his NBA career with the Boston Celtics and building quite a peculiar resume in the process, Terry Rozier is now about to kick off a new beginning with the Charlotte Hornets.
The point guard signed a three-year contract with the Hornets in free agency in a deal that was widely criticized by fans and media members alike (almost $20 million annually for Terry Rozier?).
But, nevertheless, Rozier is a talented player who may have just needed a change of scenery after a brutal 2018-19 campaign backing up Kyrie Irving in Beantown.
So, here are three numbers for Rozier to target heading into 2019-20:
3. Four Free Throws Per Game
Rozier has good handles. He doesn't turn the ball over. He's strong. He's quick.
He has all of the tools needed to live at the free-throw line, and yet, he has shot just 1.2 free throws per game over the course of his career.
Even during Rozier's famed playoff run in 2018 when he became affectionately known as “Scary Terry,” he got to the charity stripe a mere 2.9 times per game.
That's something that obviously needs to change, especially if Rozier wants to become an even remotely efficient scorer.
Again, the tools are there for Rozier to start getting to the foul line regularly. It's just a matter of the 25-year-old putting it all together and doing it on a consistent basis.
Four free throws may be too much to ask for a guy who has yet to average two in a single season, but because his usage will increase, his free-throw attempts should increase with it.
2. 15 Points Per Game
Rozier averaged double figures just once with the Celtics, which came in 2017-18 when he posted 11.3 points per game.
To be fair, Rozier primarily came off the bench in Boston, so he never really had the opportunity to be a big-time scorer, but during the aforementioned 2018 postseason, he averaged 16.5 points per game, which provided a glimpse of the type of scorer he can be when given the chance.
And make no mistake about it: he will have that chance in Charlotte.
As a matter of fact, 15 points per game might be a bit too conservative of an expectation for Rozier, as the Hornets are pretty bereft of scoring talent following the departures of Kemba Walker and Jeremy Lamb.
Rozier will almost certainly see a massive spike in field-goal attempts, meaning his scoring will almost certainly see a bump.
1. Shoot 42 Percent from the Floor
Generally, 42 percent shooting is not very good, but for a guy who has yet to shoot 40 percent in his four-year NBA career, it would be a dramatic step in the right direction.
That's correct: Rozier has never made 40 percent of his field-goal attempts. Last season, he connected on 38.7 percent of his shots, and over the course of his relatively brief NBA tenure, he has hit 38 percent of his field-goal tries.
For a guy who is billed as a good scoring combo guard, that is inexcusable.
It's not like Rozier can't shoot. He is a lifetime 35.4 percent three-point shooter, which is decent, and two years ago, he made 38.1 percent of his triples, which makes the fact that he can't seem to crack 40 percent on field goals all the more perplexing.
If he wants to live up to his contract, he has to be hitting around 42 percent of his shots, especially if he isn't getting to the free-throw line.
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