Terry Rozier is having, under the radar, the best season of his career. At 29 years old, the former Boston Celtics is in his prime and his performances are little highlighted due to the very low level of the Charlotte Hornets. Scary Terry is scarier than ever.
The latest game between Terry Rozier and the Hornets is a perfect example of what is happening this season in North Carolina. Deprived of LaMelo Ball, the Hornets struggled to hold on in the match thanks to Terry Rozier, but still ended up losing to the monstrous… Chicago Bulls. Charlotte lost 119-112 despite 39 points and 8 assists from the leader.
We discovered Terry Rozier in a role as a talented sixth man on a competitive team. He really revealed himself during the 2017-18 Playoffs campaign, where in the absence of Kyrie Irving, he participated in the beautiful Post-Season of the Boston Celtics who had narrowly failed in the Conference Final. “Scary Terry” was at the time a piece of a puzzle, a talented player surrounded by other young stars like Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown.
He must sometimes miss this situation.
Certainly, with the Hornets, he has a more important role and more freedom, but without LaMelo Ball, he must sometimes feel a little bit alone. With 24.3 points and 7.2 assists on average at 46.4% shooting, Terry Rozier has the best statistics of his career in all areas. Yet his Charlotte team has only won 8 of its 34 games this season.
The point guard from Ohio is one of the very few reasons to smile in North Carolina. Mark Williams is progressing slowly, Brandon Miller isn’t making Scoot Henderson regret it, but that’s about it. LaMelo Ball started the season well, but he only played the first 15 games. Since his knee injury, the Hornets have won only three games.
Yet Terry Rozier gives everything he has: 34 points and 13 assists against the Heat, 25 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists against the Pacers, 42 points and 8 assists in Phoenix. Each of these cards was made in a defeat. To this non-exhaustive list, we can add his performance against the Bulls detailed previously.
The question that arises almost naturally now is that of the future between the two parties. Terry Rozier and the Charlotte Hornets no longer seem on the same page timeline. The franchise is still rebuilding while the leader perhaps does not want to spend his best years in a series of setbacks. “Scary Terry” is only halfway through a long-term contract signed with Charlotte in the summer of 2021. He “only” receives $23 million this season, 24 next and 26 this year. 2025-26. In short, he has an affordable deal given his value on the floor. Terry Rozier is not untransferable and could be of interest to many franchises in the coming months. Whether coming off the bench or even in the major five, he has become a player capable of changing the direction of a team’s season.
From surprising joker in the Celtics to franchise player by default in the Hornets, Terry Rozier never really had the role that was expected of him in the NBA. However, he has regularly distinguished himself by being impeccable, this season more than ever.
If hornets are not threatening in the NBA, they still sometimes disturb, or even sting, for one reason only; a reason for the name Terry Rozier.
Source texte : Basketball Reference
2024-01-10 12:43:00
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