Boston Celtics: This is Terry Rozier’s most important season

Terry Rozier is entering a contract year and that means that he must perform well enough to earn a payday and the starting job with the Boston Celtics.

Terry Rozier has always been a solid player and one of the better backup point guards for the Boston Celtics. He’s never really had the opportunity to take the starting job because there have always been better players ahead of him like Isaiah Thomas and Kyrie Irving.

Marcus Smart has played point guard in the past, but is better served as a shooting guard. Rozier was given the opportunity to start last season for the first time in his career because of the injuries Irving sustained.

When given the call to the starting lineup, Rozier performed exceptionally well:

• Bench: 64 GP, 10.2 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.1 BPG, +0.6
• Starter: 16 GP, 15.6 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 5.1 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.6 BPG, +5.1

The improvement is easy to see, and a lot of that is also do to the fact that he did get 10 more minutes per game. In those 10 extra minutes, he was still able to make the most out of it. His plus/minus shot through the roof, though it obviously helps playing with the starters.

Playing in the bright lights and having more responsibilities didn’t scare Rozier one bit. He did it as a starter during the regular season and in the postseason. In 19 playoff games, he averaged 16.5 points, 5.7 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals.

The playoffs is where he was given the nickname “Scary Terry.” One would think that as a backup, he would not outperform his opponents, but that he did. The most fondly remembered matchup was against the Milwaukee Bucks, where he bullied Eric Bledsoe.

Clearly he loves playing in the big lights or when the game is on the line. He played great last season, but the upcoming 2018-19 campaign is where it’ll matter the most.

Everyone has heard the rumors of Kyrie Irving possibly leaving Boston to go play in New York. If that happens, The Celtics aren’t going to do anyone any favors because they were with the team the longest. They’re a winning franchise for a reason, and they will give the starting job to someone who will give them the best chance at a ring.

However, next summer, both Irving and Rozier will be free agents. Irving has a player option and Rozier is a restricted free agent. There’s no question that at this point in their careers, Irving will cost more.

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So what if the Celtics believe they can win just as many games with Rozier and save money? Then they could let Irving walk or even trade him ahead of time for some value. Plus, with the money saved, the Celtics can add other players to help improve their roster even more.

While Rozier may not be the better offensive player or have the handles that Irving does, he almost makes up for it on the other end of the floor. There are other players on the team that can help the Celtics score if they need assistance in that department.

One area where Irving needs to improve is his defense. At this stage in his career though, it’s unlikely that he will come out and give us something we’ve never seen before. He has improved under Brad Stevens, but not enough to where he’s considered a good defensive player.

Rozier, however, is a quality defender and what he lacks on offense, he makes up for it on the other end. Worst-case scenario, he could demand a lot of money elsewhere and earn a starting job there. Heading into 2018-19, the Celtics should already be weighing the pros and cons of moving forward with either Rozier or Irving as their starting point guard.

If they choose Rozier for the long haul, they could save some money, add more pieces and have a player that can play on both ends of the floor and not just one. Proving he’s ready for the full-time gig is Terry Rozier’s biggest test yet, and it’s up to him to show Boston this season that he’s the future starting point guard.