Terry Rozier: Boom or Bust?
Terry Rozier developed the nickname “Scary Terry” during his 3rd season in the league. The nickname stems from the hit tv show Rick and Morty, but Rozier embodied the name from playing like a stud on the court. The point guard caught a lot of flack in his last season with Boston for his selfish play. Instead of giving the team the best shot possible, Terry would pull up for a three or a long contested two. Not many people were upset with his departure from Boston, but now he has huge shoes to fill in Charlotte. Can he replace Kemba Walker in a way that will win over the Charlotte fans?
Personal Success
Terry Rozier is bound to explode in Charlotte as a great stat-grabbing player. In Boston, it was clear that if he was given the minutes as well as less star power around him, he could go off on any night. His averages from the past two seasons are 10.1ppg, 2.9apg, and 4.3rpg. These stats come in with him also averaging 24.3 minutes per game. Rozier should be seeing at least 10 more minutes a game with the Hornets and he is essentially their star. He is going to see all scoring opportunities first and that should lead to great success for himself. My predictions for his averages this season are 22ppg, 4.5apg, and 6rpg.
The Other Key Players
Terry Rozier is going to be one of the top guys for this squad, but the rest of the guys around him determine whether or not this team will succeed. Miles Bridges is going into his second season and is assumed to have a bigger role this season. Bridges is a forward with an electric playstyle. With more opportunities, we’ll get to see him blossom in front of our very eyes. Malik Monk is a scoring guard who will pair nicely with Rozier. He won’t make much tangible impact, but his goals should be simply to grow into the player he wants to become. Nicolas Batum and Marvin Williams are the two most experienced players on the Hornets. They will both be granted a fair amount of playing time, but will their main focus is to provide veteran leadership for these young guys. This is about it for the key players surrounding Terry Rozier.
Team Success
The average yearly experience for the Charlotte Hornets roster is 3.15 years. No matter the talent level you have, a team with such little experience rarely ever does well. Unfortunately, the talent level is just about as lackluster as their experience. This team is in severe rebuilding mode. Between the Cavs, Wizards and Hornets, I’m not sure which team will be last in the east. Terry Rozier is going to ball out this season, but his team certainly won’t. It would be wise for the Hornets to tank for a higher draft pick in hopes to draft a star that can carry the team. Until then, Charlotte is going to have to enjoy high scoring from Rozier mixed with a bunch of losing. I predict that the Hornets will win somewhere between 15-20 games this upcoming season. Terry Rozier is a boom, his team is a bust!
-Brandon Black (Follow @bhblack02)