Celtics select Terry Rozier with No. 16 pick in 2015 NBA draft
The Boston Celtics selected Louisville guard Terry Rozier with the No. 16 pick in the 2015 NBA draft at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
As a sophomore this past season, Rozier averaged 17.1 points, 3.0 assists and 5.6 rebounds in 35.0 minutes per game. Louisville fell to Michigan State in the Elite Eight of the 2015 NCAA tournament.
Mannix's Analysis: Wow. Didn’t see this coming. Rozier drew praise during pre-draft workouts and performed well as the Cardinals' primary ballhandler last season. He’s a defensive-minded guard with great length, but it’s hard to see how Rozier fits in Boston, which is loaded with young talent in thebackcourt, a group headlined by Marcus Smart, Avery Bradley and Isaiah Thomas. Danny Ainge is a trade-happy GM, who tried hard to get into the top 10 tonight. He likely has to make a move now to clear some minutes.
Grade: C
Strengths: At 6’2” and complemented by a 6’8 ¼” wingspan, Rozier has great size for an NBA point guard. He possess great athleticism as well, as evidenced by his 38" max vert at the NBA combine. His quickness allows him to be a tenacious on-ball defender, hounding ball-handlers with his length and speed. Rozier is an exceptional rebounder for his size and position. He is sound with ball management, too, coughing up very few turnovers.
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Weaknesses: Rozier struggled with shooting consistency in college on a nightly basis and year-to-year. Most notably, his three-point percentage dropped from 37.1% to 30.6% his sophomore year. He doesn’t create too much for others, only averaging 3 assists per game in Louisville’s pick-and-roll heavy offense. He often looks a step behind defenses with his decision-making in pick-and-rolls sets, which might limit his NBA peak as a third point guard playing spot minutes.
