Boston Celtics: 3 players facing the most pressure in 2018-19

2. Terry Rozier

Yes, Terry Rozier is the other player knocking on Irving’s door. Clearly Irving is still the better player, but there are pros and cons to keeping Rozier as the starter for the future.

He would likely cost less and he’s a better defender. The efficiency on the offensive end would slip a little at the point guard position, but players like Tatum, Brown and Hayward could make up for it in that department.

Much like Irving, Rozier will be a free agent during the 2019 offseason. Since he will be a restricted free agent, the Celtics will have the ability to match any offer, however. He’ll also be finding himself under a lot of pressure because he had a breakout season last year.

When Irving went down with an injury, Rozier was right there to fill in. As a starter he averaged 15.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.2 steals per game. Those aren’t bad numbers to have when he’s sharing the court with some talented players.

A lot of eyes will be on him and if he’s not necessarily showing out to the Celtics, there will surely be another team that would love to have him on its roster. That makes his season that much more important.

Whether he’s the starter or the backup with the Celtics, Rozier faces a lot of pressure because he has his future riding on it. Irving could get injured again this season and that’ll be another good indication of whether he can be a starter one day.