Terry Rozier making strong impression on Celtics

Bulpett: Terry Rozier making strong impression on Celtics






Photo by: Ted Fitzgerald
ROZIER: Ready to prove doubters wrong.

Friday, October 2, 2015

By:  Steve Bulpett




WALTHAM — A menu change may be in order for those who were in attendance at the Celtics draft party last June.

The season ticket-holders, sponsors and invited elites were welcomed by the club to the Seaport Hotel. They drank from well-stocked bars in the ballroom and dined on high-end offerings.

Then they hooted when managing partner Wyc Grousbeck announced that the team was selecting Terry Rozier with its first pick, No. 16 overall, in the draft — essentially biting the hand of the man who was feeding them. Rozier wasn’t one of the sexy names being floated in the Celtics harbor, and a 6-foot-1 point guard? Didn’t they already have a young point guard of the future in Marcus Smart?

So there were boos along with the booze, and even those who weren’t moved to vocalize their unhappiness looked like Roger Goodell after (fill in your favorite court ruling involving the NFL here).

Now, however, it seems these same disappointed diners may have to eat a little crow.

Sure, it’s still way early. The Celtics have yet to play even a preseason game, let alone a regular-season affair. But the early returns on Rozier are good. Very good.

Isaiah Thomas was given a heads-up on what was coming, receiving inside information from the Celtics bunker on draft night.

“When they drafted him, Danny (Ainge) sent me a text right after,” Thomas said. “He was like, ‘You’re going to love this guy because he’s kind of like you and he doesn’t back down.’

“He’s showed no back-down these first few days, and that’s good. That’s a good sign. And he’s willing to work.”

Anyone who follows Thomas on Twitter got tired just reading his workout reports over the summer. So for him to comment on someone’s ethic in that regard carried perhaps a bit of additional weight.

“He’s just a guy that likes to work, and he’s willing to learn,” Thomas went on, praising a guy who would like to borrow a few minutes of his playing time this season. “That’s what it’s about when you’re young, when you’re coming in. You have to be all ears and listening.

“He wants to learn. He’s asking questions. He’s going to be a really good guard in this league.”

Veteran David Lee also spoke about Rozier’s approach to the game, but his initial reaction to the rookie was for a different attribute.

“Immediately the thing you think of is speed,” Lee said. “The guy has a different gear.

“He’s also a really good kid, coming in here eager to learn. He’s done everything he’s been asked to do.”

And the toughness Rozier showed in two summer leagues with the Celts has accompanied him to training camp.

“Absolutely tough,” said Lee. “He’s not scared to get in there and be aggressive and go toe to toe with all these other guards in practice, which is no easy task. He’s done a great job thus far.”

When Rozier’s nerve was being discussed further, Lee broke in.

“Not only that, but having the attitude to work,” he said. “I mean, having that aggressiveness and courage to come in and to showcase what he can do is important, but really having that attitude of being coachable and being a good teammate, those are things that I think make it easier for you to have a good rookie year.”

It was clear during the summer that Rozier has to get better with running the offensive show. Getting his teammates into the right sets and executing instinctively will be a challenge. But in Salt Lake City and Las Vegas, he seemed to get better late in close games.

“I was out in Las Vegas and saw him,” said Jonas Jerebko. “He looked good then and he’s been impressive here. He’s come in here and played hard. He’s got a lot of good guys to learn from.”

Said Tyler Zeller: “He’s extremely quick, extremely athletic. Obviously he’s got a little ways to go just learning the NBA game, but every rookie does. We all went through it. He’s doing a great job picking it up, and I think one he gets there he’s going to be very good.

“He can push the ball very, very quickly up the floor and make things happen. And I think he’s a very tough kid. We’ll see how that hold up over 82 games, but so far it looks good.”

Jae Crowder drove more directly to the point on Rozier.

“He can play,” Crowder said flatly. “Oh, yeah, he can play — and he has a good motor. Everything else, you can teach.

“He’s tough. You can’t teach that.”

Considering the Celtics’ backcourt logjam, it may be hard for Rozier to get much of an opportunity this season to prove the club right for drafting him. But crow can be a figurative dish best served cold.



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