Charlotte Hornets: Terry Rozier deserves more appreciation

As the Charlotte Hornets lost their franchise’s all-time best player over the summer, one player has exceeded expectations this season.

The Charlotte Hornets have not had a successful season so far, but one player has been making the best out of any opportunity he’s been given. After losing Kemba Walker last summer, Terry Rozier has stepped up his play, and delivered in his first season in Charlotte.

For many fans, losing Walker has been one of the hardest things that this franchise has ever endured. However, Rozier has taken the pressure, and he has used it to his advantage to prove doubters wrong.

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Rozier has been one of the iron men for the Hornets this season, as he’s only missed one game. Rozier has played in 63 games this season, and he has started in all of them.

In just 63 games played, Terry Rozier has averaged 18.0 points, 4.1 assists, and 4.4 rebounds per game. Rozier is shooting a career-high from the floor with 42.3%, and also a career-high on three-pointers with 41%.

A lot of Rozier’s success this season has been found from behind the three-point line. Rozier has made 172 three-pointers, and he’s on track to become the fifth player in Hornets franchise history to have made 200+ threes in a season.

Rozier has been putting up great numbers as of late, and he’s even coming off the best game of his career against the Atlanta Hawks. In that game, Rozier finished with 40 points and four rebounds.

In Rozier’s last seven games, he’s averaged 22.9 points and 4.4 assists per game. With these averages, Rozier also managed to shoot 48% from the floor.

Rozier was signed to a three-year $56,700,000 million dollar contract this offseason, and this is a reason why fans have high expectations for him. With his play so far, Rozier has earned every bit of the money he’s being paid.

The Hornets have a history of paying players a bad contract, and one of them is currently sitting on the Hornets’ bench. I like to look at production, and Rozier’s production is a lot higher than Nicolas Batum’s $25 million dollar contract.

As one of the team’s toughest and most consistent players, Rozier deserves more appreciation for what he’s done. It’s not easy to go into a franchise and fill big shoes, but Rozier has played very well in his first season with the Hornets.

The team has eighteen games remaining, and I expect Rozier to finish the season on a strong note.