Terry Rozier was really something, even as Hornets figure out what that something is
Terry Rozier is a player who can help the Charlotte Hornets. There’s plenty enough evidence of that in his first 11 games
Precisely what player Rozier should be here is still experimental: How much he should be on the ball. How much he should be off the ball. How much he should play. With whom he is best paired.
The Hornets took their leap of faith in July, when they offered Rozier $57 million over three years. That contract puts it as much on coach James Borrego as it is on former Boston Celtic Rozier to make this work.
“I think it’s going to take some time,” Borrego said, when I asked if he’s still exploring what Rozier is. “His understanding of our system, how we’re going to play him.”
Wednesday night, Rozier matched his career-high with 33 points and made seven 3-pointers. He also committed five turnovers, which Rozier was the first to say was a significant factor in a two-point loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.
It’s not all that important this season what the Hornets’ record is. What matters is that this team’s young players’ potential is thoroughly explored. Four seasons into his NBA career, Rozier is one of those young players. The money he’s owed makes it all the more imperative he’s well utilized.
What complicates this, but in the best of ways, is Devonte Graham’s trajectory. No one could have anticipated the second-round pick’s sudden blossoming at the start of his second season. He’s the Hornets’ leader in points and assists. Over those first 11 games, he has played better than the guy he backs up, Rozier.
Rozier is the starting point guard. Except he is not the classic definition of a point guard. He is more a shooter than a facilitator, with an assist-to-turnover ratio of less than 2-to-1 this season. The Hornets’ best backcourt so far has not been Rozier-and-Graham, with Graham the primary ballhandler.
That circumstance isn’t all that surprising once you know Rozier’s basketball upbringing.
“In high school, I played off the ball. In college, I played off the ball, too,” Rozier said. “I got drafted without really playing point guard, so I’m kind of used to it.”
That’s not necessarily a flaw. There are plenty of combo guards in the NBA. Some are stars, such as Russell Westbrook or James Harden, and there are plenty of rank-and-file guys like Houston Rocket Austin Rivers. This is all workable.
Playing the 6-foot-1 Rozier with the 6-foot-2 Graham isn’t ideal in matching up with opposing backcourts, but it’s doable. One of the things Borrego demonstrated as a rookie head coach last season was his willingness to try the unconventional. He would rather put his best players on the court, and adjust for their strengths and weakness, than be constantly reactionary to what other coaches do.
Rozier and Graham started together for the first time Wednesday, in response to Dwayne Bacon missing this game with a sore right knee. I don’t know yet if those two starting together is likely to last long-term; it uses up the point guard minutes and under-utilizes other options at shooting guard.
Borrego has Bacon and Malik Monk (who had 20 points, eight rebounds and five assists Wednesday). Also, Nic Batum is close to a return from a fractured finger. So there are plenty of alternatives to a constant diet of Rozier-Graham.
But these first 11 games have demonstrated that playing Rozier off the ball isn’t a concession — it’s a potential solution.
Right now, “potential solution” defines the rebuild business these Hornets have chosen as their path.
This story was originally published November 14, 2019 at 9:22 AM.
