Terry Rozier has a Michael Jordan-like trait that makes him invaluable to the Hornets
Any NBA player wants the shot to decide a game, right?
Wrong. Scouts tell me all the time that accepting that pressure and thriving under it is kind of rare, even among the best basketball players in the world.
That’s what makes Terry Rozier a delight to watch this season. The Hornets are the NBA’s best clutch team and Rozier is Charlotte’s best clutch player.
We saw that against the Golden State Warriors when Rozier scored four points in the last 10 seconds for the win. Rozier topped that Thursday, scoring 12 points in the last 3 minutes and 11 seconds to beat the Detroit Pistons 105-102 at Spectrum Center.
This would have been a terrible loss. The Pistons are 10-27 and entered Thursday having lost 10 in a row against the Hornets. Charlotte was finally healthy, with every player on the roster available. There were no excuses to blow this.
And yet the Hornets trailed at home by three in the final four minutes, after once leading by 16. Shooting guard Rozier willed this one home, starting with a four-point play off a 25-footer and a free throw, courtesy of Delon Wright’s foul.
Over the next three minutes, Rozier kept creating floaters and 3s that fell through the hoop. And with that, the Hornets got to .500 (18-18) for the first time since Jan. 6.
After the game, Rozier got a courtside hug from Hornets owner Michael Jordan, who obviously knows something about being clutch.
“Always good to have the GOAT here,” Rozier said postgame.
Rozier isn’t the GOAT, he wasn’t in this season’s All-Star discussion. But an opponent wants no part of him in the final moments of a close game.
“He’s fearless,” said coach James Borrego. “He’s going to bear the responsibility, make or miss. Many players in this league aren’t willing to go there.”
Terry Rozier’s crazy clutch-time numbers
The NBA defines clutch time as the last five minutes of a game with a margin of five points or less. The Hornets own that crucial juncture this season, outscoring opponents by a league-best margin of 53.4 points per 100 possessions.
Rozier is at the heart of that. In 39 clutch-time minutes, he has scored 48 points, shooting 13 of 23 from the field and 9 of 17 from 3-point range.
Oh, and the Hornets are 10-4 in those games.
Rozier doesn’t just accept this responsibility, he craves it.
“I like taking the big shots,” said Rozier, having a career season at 20.5 points per game. “I’m very confident. With space (to shoot) and how we play, I’m able to get it done at a high level.”
Rozier spent his first four seasons with the Celtics. He was never going to be featured in Boston as he has been with the Hornets. He backed up Isaiah Thomas and Kyrie Irving, then was effectively replaced by Kemba Walker’s decision to sign with Boston.
The Hornets offered Rozier a 3-year, $56.7 million contract that was widely viewed in the summer of 2019 as an overpay. But Rozier has more than earned his $18.9 million average salary.
‘Not afraid of any moment’
Rozier was a teammate of Gordon Hayward’s in Boston, and now again in Charlotte. They’re quite different in personality: Hayward is calculated and even-keeled, an engineering major at Butler. Rozier is more wired, with aggression at the heart of his success.
“He’s definitely not afraid of any moment,” Hayward said. “A player like T-Ro, all you need is one (shot) to go through (and then) he can score in bunches ...
“I think it’s pretty rare, but certainly T-Ro is one who can score in bunches, especially in the clutch.”
The Hornets needed a lot to break out of their spiral. They found a dynamic playmaker in rookie LaMelo Ball. They acquired a connector in free agent Hayward.
Turns out the closer was already here, ready and able.
“I’ve always had that confidence. I’ve always wanted the ball in my hands.” Rozier said.
“We’ve got a great group of guys. They allow me to be confident, they allow me to be me.”
This story was originally published March 12, 2021 at 7:00 AM.
