Terry Rozier was put in a difficult position this season. With all the team’s injuries, the 29-year-old guard was often asked to guard the opposition’s best perimeter player. Ideally, Rozier would do what he does best, create scoring opportunities for himself. And to a certain extent he did, his 21.1 points per game were the highest of his NBA career. On the Charlotte Hornets this season, he also had to create for others. He averaged 5.1 assists per game, a career-high. He also led the team in total assists for the year.
But that isn’t his game. He isn’t a distributor. And despite his attempt to change what he did on the court (his 22.7% assist percentage was the highest in his career), as the best available playmaker he led the Hornets to the worst offense in the league. His year wasn’t aided by the injuries surrounding him. Sure, LaMelo Ball only played 36 games. That led to Rozier’s increased role on offense. But Gordon Hayward and Kelly Oubre Jr.’s injuries also meant that Rozier was sharing the court alongside talent that normally wouldn’t be playing heavy minutes on an NBA roster.
What’s more, Rozier’s own offensive firepower diminished without better counterparts around him. Rozier shot 5.5 on his catch and shoot three-point attempts per game last year, making 38.9%. This year, with more ball-handling duties, he shot fewer (3.5) and made a lower percentage (33.8). His 32.7% three-point percentage was the lowest since he was strictly a reserve player in Boston during his second season in the league.
What do the Charlotte Hornets need from Terry Rozier?
Rozier will be better with healthy players around him. He showed last season that he couldn’t carry the offensive output and uplift an entire team. There is no shame in that. Very few players can single-handedly make an offense better. Fewer still can do it while surrounded by a constantly changing lineup and a role not tailored to their skill set. Whatever Rozier’s shortcomings were last season, they can be made right on a healthier team.
Ultimately, Rozier can be a dynamic offensive player and isolation scorer, and solid defender, given his size limitations. If he’s able to return to a role that highlights his strengths, he will contribute greatly to a Hornets team in desperate need of consistency.