We are back for Week Five of the NBA season. While I admit it is early, there are already some patterns and trends that have begun to crystalize. The Houston Rockets and Detroit Pistons will be amongst the worst teams in the league, as they lose for the hope to win the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes. Rostering Kawhi Leonard will be a colossal headache and likely not be worth the effort by seasons end, if not earlier. The Los Angeles Lakers will not be winning any rings this year, no matter if they make a trade or not. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the real deal Holyfield. (Mind Blown)
Of all the many things, the one I am most certain of is that this week’s feature player cannot keep shooting this poorly. I mean surely, he cannot, right? Nah, there is no possible way and that is why he is here.
A quick glance at the box scores does not tell the story in its entirety. What you see down the left column under the point’s category might satisfy the eye test with double-digit scoring in every game he has played in this season, with the exception of his most recent game on November 20, when he put up an inefficient eight points.
Ding, ding, ding boys and girls, the word of the day is “inefficient”.
So let us dial it back to last season when it was a career year for Rozier as he finished ranked 42nd on the season behind solid across-the-board production:
19 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.5 dimes, 1.3 steals, 3.0 threes with shooting splits of 44.4% (shout to JAY-Z) and 85.2% from the field and line respectively.
This season, everything looks eerily similar to last season, with a slight uptick in assists to 5.4 and a significant regression in steals down to 0.6.
So, what is the problem with our pal Terry?
Look no further than the field goal percentage, period. On the season, Rozier is shooting 37% from the field on 20.9 shots per game. Those shots are also up nearly five more than his 16 from last season. Terry has never been the poster child of efficient basketball as he has been a sub-40% shooter more often than not. However, his past three seasons have been 42.3%, 45.0%, and 44.4% all coinciding with his time in Charlotte.
I believe he will correct his shooting closer to the numbers we have seen over the past few seasons and that is why you should make a play for the veteran shooting guard. His current managers may be feeling that this version of Rozier is here to stay and may be growing tired of the drain on their field goal percentage. Bake into your proposal that he is on a tanking team, and you may be able to secure Terry for yourself.
Rozier is the 150th ranked player over the past two weeks and, while you may not get the 42nd-ranked player from last season, a top 60 player is well within reach and maybe higher.
Send out a Spencer Dinwiddie, who has been playing well, and see if that can return Rozier. Jordan Clarkson is another player I would consider throwing out there to see if it lands. His role could change significantly with a trade and I do not believe the Cinderella Jazz will keep winning games. The slipper is coming off.
It is only a matter of time before Terry finds his stroke and, when he does, it will be lights out on this opportunity to buy him low.
As always, hit me up in the comments section and let me know your thoughts and opinions, as they are all welcomed.
Good luck out there,
Peace.
