Terry Rozier impressing the Celtics early on in camp


When Danny Ainge and the Boston Celtics selected Terry Rozier 16th overall in the 2015 NBA draft, many questioned if the team had possibly reached for the Louisville product. In his rookie campaign, Rozier struggled to find consistent mintues early on due to a crowded C's backcourt, finishing the year with only 39 total appearances under his belt. Because of this the Celtics' guard went into the summer determined to enter his sophomore season stronger than ever.

With that hard work now paying off, coach Brad Stevens was one of many within the organization to recently praise Rozier for offseason improvements, via Chris Forsberg:.

The biggest thing that I’ve always said about Terry is he’s going to improve because the guy works. From the minute we met him in the draft process, it was like there are work ethics and there are real work ethics. And he’s got a real one. And so I think he’ll do well.

All-Star Isaiah Thomas, defensive juggernaut Avery Bradley, and sixth man Marcus Smart all have solidified their roles above Rozier up to this point within the rotation. However, since Evan Turner is now gone, the Celtics are still looking for a consistent backup point guard to play behind Thomas. When asked by Abby Chin of CSNNE about the newly available mintues, Rozier had this to say:


Though it is unlikely he'll see the same type of mintues as Turner, Rozier's playing time should significantly increase. With his new role, the second-year player has already impressed some of the newest members of the Celtics coming into camp. Al Horford had this to say when asked about his teammate (again via Forsberg):

I was encouraged by Terry as well. He’s looked really good all [September]. It just excites me to see that a lot of these guys are making progress in their game.

In Friday's team scrimmage, Rozier unofficially scored 10 points (according to Jay King of MassLive) while leading the second unit to a victory over the starters, something that has become somewhat of a common theme through the first week of practices.

While Rozier's evolving all-around game has yet to fully peak, it is safe to say that he'll be ready for the new challenges that lie ahead this season.



Photo Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

Follow Spencer Tawes on Twitter: @SWTawes
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