Terry Rozier “excited” to put on Charlotte Hornets uniform this season
Count Terry Rozier as someone who is ready for the upcoming season. Rozier stated his excitement to put on a Charlotte Hornets uniform during Monday’s media day. This is Rozer’s fourth year with the Hornets and the second of his four-year $96.2 million contract extension he signed in August of 2021.
"I'm way more excited putting on a Charlotte Hornets uniform than I've ever been." -- Terry Rozier pic.twitter.com/4p767WXmt1
— Rod Boone (@rodboone) October 2, 2023
Charlotte is expected to bounce back from a disappointing 2022-23 campaign, which saw the Hornets go just 27-55, finishing a distant fifth in the NBA’s Southeast Division and 14th in the Eastern Conference. The only teams that finished with fewer wins were the Houston Rockets (22), San Antonio Spurs (22), and Detroit Pistons (17). If the Hornets are going to be a better team in 2023-24, they are going to need Rozier, in addition to LaMelo Ball, Gordon Hayward, and Brandon Miller, to carry the workload in Charlotte.
Rozier has become more of an impact player since leaving Boston to come to Charlotte. The now 29-year-old was mostly a complementary role player for the Celtics, coming off the bench in 242 of his 272 games in Boston. In comparison, Rozier has started all 268 career games with the Hornets. This is due to the Celtics having a star-studded roster that blocked Rozier from making the starting lineup, as well as the Hornets being a team stuck in rebuild mode.
The increased playing time that has come with being a regular starter in Charlotte has led to increased production. Rozier has seen his scoring average increase by 12 points (from 7.7 to 19.7). A major factor playing into this is an increase in playing time, from 20 minutes per game in Boston to 34.4 in Charlotte. Additionally, Rozeier’s shot conversion rates have increased across the board, with his field goal percentage (+5.3%), three-point percentage (+1.9%), and free throws (+0.5%) all improving. Rozier’s increased production is not limited to just scoring, as he is grabbing nearly one more rebound per game (3.6-4.3) and totaling just over two more assists (2.3-4.5).
