Player in Focus: Terry Rozier and his journey so far with the Charlotte Hornets | NBA Season 2020-21
Terry Rozier has been the talk of the town lately, as the Charlotte Hornets point guard is having a breakout year. The combo guard recently put in another incredible performance, scoring 34 points and dishing out 10 assists in the Hornets' last game against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Rozier started his NBA journey with the Boston Celtics after getting picked 16th overall in the 2015 NBA Draft. He played for the Louisville Cardinals in college and was a teammate with current LA Lakers power forward Montrezl Harrell there. Terry Rozier averaged 12 points and 4 rebounds in two years in college.
Role with Charlotte Hornets
The Charlotte Hornets have used Terry Rozier as a shooting guard, usually pairing him up with either Devonte' Graham or star rookie LaMelo Ball. Playmaking was never Rozier's strongest suit and head coach James Borrego has given him the license to snipe from the perimeter - something he is adept at.
A career 38% shooter from behind the three-point arc, one of the reasons behind Terry Rozier getting banished from the Boston Celtics was his careless shooting approach. Accused of chucking shots at Boston, the Charlotte Hornets have been able to capitalize on Rozier's approach rather than resenting it.
Season so far
Terry Rozier has been in fantastic form in the 2020-21 NBA season, putting up 20.7 points, 4 rebounds and 3.8 assists on 47% shooting from the field and 40.5% from downtown. He has also managed to rack up 1.3 steals per game, displaying the balanced nature of his game.
Rozier has been welcomed with open arms in Charlotte and the positive environment has had a direct correlation to improvement in his form. With Devonte' Graham regressing this year in addition to Gordon Hayward and LaMelo Ball going down due to injuries, Terry Rozier has stepped up, taking on the scoring mantle for the Michael Jordan-owned franchise.
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Strengths and Weaknesses
Terry Rozier's biggest asset is his three-point shooting, as the Lousiville product has the ability to go off from the perimeter on any given night. He is a high-volume shooter, attempting 8.3 three-pointers per game on average. Once criticized for being inefficient, Terry Rozier has now quietly become one of the most prolific shooters in the NBA.
However, Rozier still needs to work on two aspects of his game - playmaking and defense. The former Boston Celtics man is still a below-average playmaker for a guard. The franchise and Rozier's teammates will be hoping that his ability to make plays in the half-court will improve as the season progresses.
Rozier's one-on-one defense is suspect as well, and he will have to be more aware on that end if he wants to play significant minutes in the playoffs.
Expectations from Terry Rozier going forward
Having established himself as the starting 2 guard on a playoff-bound team, the next step for Terry Rozier would be to aim to make the All-Star team. The diminutive guard has shown that he can consistently score 20 points and the Charlotte Hornets will be hoping that he progresses to become one of the best backcourt players in the league.
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