He had not come off his team's bench since 2019, when he played for the Celtics. For his first with the Heat, Terry Rozierthat night against the Grizzlies, he had to wait until the end of the first quarter to come into play. A difficult comeback, marked by two missed “floaters”, which would set the tone for his evening.
In 29 minutes, despite a start to gain momentum in the last act, the former Hornets player was content to contribute 9 points (3/11 on shots including 1/5 from distance), 5 assists and 4 rebounds . “ It's not easy to go through a battery of medical tests and change your life in 24 hours. I'm not making excuses for him, but it's not easy “, remarked Erik Spoelstra after the meeting.
“ It's clearly different. I'm not looking for excuses, I didn't play very well tonight. It's going to take a little time, things will get a lot easier with time “, complete Terry Rozier who has already noticed ” more unity » in Miami, compared to Charlotte.
Boost the Heat's offense
This first outing still allowed his coach to confirm the idea he had of his recruit. “ He is extremely talented in attack, whether away from the ball or when served. On defense, he is getting used to our way of doing things. He disrupts a lot, he's a physical defender, he has long arms. He can wreak havoc on this side of the field », Lists the technician, who had mentioned the influence of his former coaches in the field (Rick Pitino, Brad Stevens, Steve Clifford).
But as his new player says, who thinks he fits the Heat culture: “ We know that things won't be perfect right away. » A time of adaptation is necessary between two parties who seem made to get along. With on one side the Heat, urgently looking for an offensive boost. In January, the Florida team is the third worst offense in the league (behind the Blazers and the… Hornets)!
Tonight, for the fourth time in five games, Miami did not reach 100 points scored. On the other, we find Terry Rozier who said he was happy, after his years in Charlotte, to be able to hear about the playoffs again. “ It's no secret that I've loved the Heat and Dwyane Wade since I was a kid. The circle is complete », formulated upon his arrival the one who already imagines a good relationship with Bam Adebayo, the two men having played together last summer.
Known for his exploits in Boston
Beyond the technical contribution, Erik Spoelstra highlighted his competitive spirit: “ He has a lot of these competitive qualities that we respect and that we think resonate with us, but also that they have a big impact. Victory is important to him. He respects our jersey. He really wanted to be here. Not everyone wants to play for us. It is important. We want to have competitors who share the same ideas and who see the competition in the same way. »
The Heat coach recalled that the leader had had great moments in the playoffs playing in Boston, where he considered him “ one of the most dangerous X factors “.
Then in Charlotte, he developed, offensively in particular. But the Heat has “ Needs some offensive punch right now. He has the personality and the game that can stick. I don't think he'll try to get the upper hand on anyone. He just wants to be complementary and contribute to victory again and, hopefully, do really special things in the playoffs. »
| Terry Rozier | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2015-16 | BOS | 39 | 8 | 27.4 | 22.2 | 80.0 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 1.9 |
| 2016-17 | BOS | 74 | 17 | 36.7 | 31.8 | 77.3 | 0.5 | 2.5 | 3.1 | 1.8 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 5.5 |
| 2017-18 | BOS | 80 | 26 | 39.5 | 38.1 | 77.2 | 0.8 | 3.9 | 4.7 | 2.9 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 11.3 |
| 2018-19 | BOS | 79 | 23 | 38.7 | 35.3 | 78.5 | 0.4 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 2.9 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 9.0 |
| 2019-20 | CHA | 63 | 34 | 42.3 | 40.7 | 87.4 | 0.8 | 3.6 | 4.4 | 4.1 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 2.2 | 0.2 | 18.0 |
| 2020-21 | CHA | 69 | 35 | 45.0 | 38.9 | 81.7 | 0.7 | 3.7 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 1.9 | 0.4 | 20.4 |
| 2021-22 | CHA | 73 | 34 | 44.4 | 37.4 | 85.2 | 0.8 | 3.6 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 19.3 |
| 2022-23 | CHA | 63 | 35 | 41.5 | 32.7 | 80.9 | 0.8 | 3.3 | 4.1 | 5.1 | 1.9 | 1.2 | 2.1 | 0.3 | 21.1 |
| 2023-24 | CHA | 30 | 36 | 45.9 | 35.8 | 84.5 | 0.6 | 3.3 | 3.9 | 6.6 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 0.4 | 23.2 |
| Total | 570 | 28 | 42.0 | 36.7 | 82.2 | 0.7 | 3.3 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 14.2 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
