Without Smart, Rozier is ready for his opportunity

http://www.csnne.com/boston-celtics/without-smart-rozier-ready-his-opportunity?p=ya5nbcs&ocid=yahoo



Without Smart, Rozier is ready for his opportunity

November 23, 2015, 5:15 pm








ATLANTA -- When Chris Jones was kicked off the Louisville men’s basketball team, Terry Rozier stepped in to fill the void immediately.

In fact, it was in this city against Georgia Tech, nine months ago to this very day, that Rozier’s ability to step up when called up first came to light.

His 22 points lifted Louisville to a 52-51 win over the Yellow Jackets, their first game without Jones.

Rozier finds himself in a similar spot with the Celtics, who are without Marcus Smart (bone bruise, left knee), who won’t return until sometime in December.

Brad Stevens, much like Louisville head coach Rick Pitino, will turn to his youthful players to help fill the void.

And one of the first to get a crack at it will be Rozier.

He was among the first players off the Celtics’ bench in Sunday’s 111-101 loss at Brooklyn. And when the Celtics face the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night, there’s a very good chance he’ll get once again get an early call to action.

Rozier only logged five minutes, scoring three points while turning the ball over once during that span.

“It was a lot of ups and downs in the five minute spurt I played,” Rozier acknowledged. “I felt I pushed the ball well. With time just getting more comfortable. That’s the important thing.”

Celtics head coach Brad Stevens has a very good feel for what he’s looking to see from his young players like Rozier.

“We want to see growth, we want to see improvement,” Stevens said. “The biggest thing is, they’re not being thrown in there late in the game right now. In these circumstances, they have to make plays that can help us separate and win. Fair or unfair at that age, that’s the position we’re in with our backcourt.”

With that increased opportunity comes a greater responsibility, something that Rozier seems to thrive off of.

“At every level, it was always a little opportunity and I got better,” Rozier said. “So I got comfortable, I got to play.”

And while it’s still early, his focus is to make the most of Smart’s absence to bolster his chances at playing as well as help the Celtics win.

“God forbid anyone gets hurt,” Rozier said. “I don’t wish that on anyone. But I look at it as an opportunity until he gets back. Whatever that is, it’s an opportunity to get comfortable and play and help this team with a spark.”

And he will indeed get a shot at being a difference-maker for the Celtics, which in all likelihood would mean his play improving significantly at a very rapid pace.

“I wouldn’t say get better fast,” Rozier said. “Just be myself.”

He acknowledges that he’s still trying to get a feel for what playing at this level is truly like.

“It still feels different,” he said. “I still don’t feel like myself yet. Once that happens, everybody can see how Terry Rozier plays basketball.”

And Rozier basketball is …

“Tough, do whatever to win,” he said.

And don’t forget opportunistic.

Because of all the qualities he brings to the floor, that might be the most important one during a time when the Celtics are missing one of their best players, with Rozier pegged as one of the players who will get a shot at helping fill that void.


bob
MY NOTE:  The Boston Celtics have a long (and successful!) history of bringing rookies off the bench, even highly touted and drafted ones like #3 Kevin McHale (Havlicek was a #7 pick too.  Yeah, the league was only 8 or 9 teams, so he was technically an end-of-first-round pick, but he was still considered the top 7 player in the country).  Sometimes there are rookies that just demand starting or logging heavy minutes, like Bird and Magic and MJ, but it's usually better to not just throw them into the fire right away.  Let them get some minutes in the 2nd quarter, maybe some in the 3rd, when we need some rest for the starters and any damage caused when they are in there can still be fixed because there's lots of time left.  Actual game play, against actual NBA players (maybe even some starters) but without the bone-crushing pressure.  Manageable growth.  Everybody wants minutes, everybody wants to start.  I wouldn't give two shits for a player who doesn't want either but sometimes less is more.  I'd like to get Mickey some minutes like Rozier is going to get and Hunter is getting, but that will take an injury in the front court.  That could happen at any time, of course, but Brad isn't playing any of them heavy minutes, precisely because we have a logjam and doesn't have to, so that might mean he has to wait until Trader Danny's trigger finger starts twitching.

Tonight he might be spending time facing up against Dennis Schroder, mit der umlauts, or Shelvin Mack (formerly of the Maine Red Claws, a graduate of Butler University. He played for Brad there). Both would be nice tests for Rozier. Hunter, of course, is going home to Georgia as a pro for the first time. Breathe, rook, remember to breathe...


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