Danny Ainge's helpful message for Terry Rozier comes from experience

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/danny-ainges-helpful-message-terry-131206694.html



Danny Ainge's helpful message for Terry Rozier comes from experience




NBC Sports Boston 4 hours ago


Danny Ainge's helpful message for Terry Rozier comes from experience originally appeared on nbcsportsboston.com




The bad news: Terry Rozier is in a tricky situation on the Boston Celtics. The good news: He has a boss who can relate.

After starting during the playoffs last season, Rozier is back in a reserve role behind All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving, playing just 23.3 minutes per game compared to the 36.6 he averaged in the playoffs.

The adjustment has been rocky at times, with an early November report suggesting he wanted to be traded and a cryptic tweet that fanned the trade rumors. But Danny Ainge isn't concerned about Rozier -- because he's shared some of the young guard's frustrations.

"The way that so much stuff gets reported and written now, it could be nothing or it could be Terry saying something to somebody at some point like, ‘Damn, I'm just frustrated,' and that leads to him being really frustrated," Ainge told Yahoo Sports' Ben Rohrbach on Tuesday.

"Heck, we're all frustrated half the time. I played 18 years of professional sports, and half the games I didn't play as well as I wanted. When I played well, I usually wasn't as frustrated, regardless of what role I was playing."

Ainge played seven-plus seasons in Boston but didn't really carve out his role until his fourth year. Even then, he was (at best) a fourth or fifth option on a loaded squad that included Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish and Dennis Johnson.

Even when Ainge averaged 14.8 points over 35.2 minutes per game during the 1986-87 season, he knew Bird, McHale and Parish were ahead of him in the pecking order. He embraced that role, however, helping the C's win titles in 1984 and 1986.

While Rozier's situation obviously is different, there still are some parallels as he fights for minutes on a talent-laden roster that includes All-Stars Irving, Gordon Hayward and Al Horford.

And Ainge believes he's making progress.

"Some of the things that Terry has gone through early have been predictable and understandable and even expected," Ainge said. "He is still very humble and wanting to do the right thing, but he has big dreams and big goals. That's why he's special.

" ... I'm giving Terry all the credit for having a paradigm shift, and he's playing better. It's a good message for all the players. You don't always get what you want, but the choices you make are important. You can either pout and feel miserable or you can have a positive attitude and make a positive impact."

Rozier told Rohrbach his "attitude" has changed thanks in part to repeated conversations with Ainge, and it's shown on the court: The 24-year-old is averaging 10.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists in the month of December.

"I was going through some stuff at the start of the season," Rozier said. "But something changed two or three weeks ago, and I'm feeling good about where I'm at."



bob



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For those who may not check his numbers, over the past 5 games terry is averaging 10.6 PPG with 4.2 assists and 5.6 rebounds. He is also shooting .400% from deep, 1.6 steals and .8 turnovers. I know sometimes he make bonehead plays but he is as solid as they come when it comes to protecting the ball and hitting the glass.

Terry has been a key component in their resurgence and winning streak.