Terry Rozier Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Fisher, Simmons, Rozier

August 12th, 2016 at 8:46pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Knicks team president Phil Jackson opened up to Charley Rosen of TodaysFastbreak.com about what went wrong in New York with former coach Derek Fisher, noting the two had markedly different philosophies on how to develop and train players. “Almost from the start, this was a difficult time for Derek. Derek did have a situation that took some focus away from his coaching during the preseason, but I never doubted that his focus was on coaching the team,” Jackson said regarding Fisher’s off the court run-in with Matt Barnes. “A divorce and coast-to-coast move with children does put pressure on a person’s life, but that’s the NBA. However, Derek did move the team forward. He was dedicated and he worked hard. The players hustled and, for the most part, stayed as positive as was possible. And Derek did manage to survive last season and to deal with the heavy pressure of the constant losing, which is probably more intense in New York than in any other NBA city.”

Jackson also noted that Fisher’s inability to settle on a rotation became an issue, Rosen relays. “When I was coaching, I liked to play a lot of players and usually found a rotation of nine, 10 players to play, but it was hard for Derek to find a workable rotation,” Jackson said. “Nevertheless, the team did develop under him, and we have enough pieces in place to give us a chance to compete every night.”

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Ben Simmons, the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft by the Sixers, noted that the league’s mandatory Rookie Transition Program was a great help to him as he kicks off his professional career, Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly.com relays. “[I learned] a lot, from fans to financial advice, family issues, everything,” Simmons said. “Financially, that’s one of those things I’ve been looking at. I definitely want to be one of those guys who’s not in one of those statistics of not having money. So that’s big for me. You’ve got to look toward the future because you don’t play basketball forever. It’s one of those things you need to take seriously and listen.”
The Celtics are hoping the playoff experience that guard Terry Rozier gained this past season will help his development moving forward and allow the player to earn more minutes in the rotation, Josue Pavon of WEII 93.7 FM relays. “One of the things I said before training camp is that I’m smarter [now],” Rozier said. “I felt like I could always play, but I just feel that my opportunity came late obviously in the playoffs [last season]. I got to see that as a rookie early and it made me smarter to just see things. Then, this summer I went over a lot of things and touched on things I could do as a point guard. I think I just became smarter more than anything.”

Atlantic Notes: Sullinger, Okafor, Knicks

July 11th, 2016 at 6:20pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Raptors got themselves a bargain in ex-Celtics power forward Jared Sullinger, even though he’s not an ideal fit, Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun opines. Sullinger agreed to a one-year deal with Toronto on Monday after Boston renounced his rights. He’s not an ideal partner for either Jonas Valanciunas or Jakob Poeltl because of his lack of foot speed but he’ll contribute with his rebounding and low-post game, Wolstat continues. Sullinger will be motivated to have a productive season in order to get a big payday next summer, Wolstat adds, noting that approach worked last season for Bismack Biyombo.

In other news around the Atlantic Division:

Sixers big man Jahlil Okafor denied via his Twitter account that he’s angry that they shopped him this offseason, according to CSNNE.com report. Okafor responded to a story by Tom Moore of the Bucks County Courier Times that he and his handlers were upset that Sixers GM Bryan Colangelo listened to offers for the second-year power forward. Okafor called the story “fraudulent” and declared that “I love where I am.” The Celtics, who made a big free-agent splash by signing Al Horford, could still try to deal for Okafor this summer, CSNNE.com adds.
Celtics guard Terry Rozier has positioned himself for more playing time with his postseason play and summer-league performances, according to A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. Rozier could help fill the void left by Evan Turner, who agreed to a four-year deal with the Trail Blazers, and even take some minutes from starting point guard Isaiah Thomas, Blakely adds. The 6’2” Rozier averaged 1.8 points in 39 regular-season games as a rookie, then averaged 4.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 19.8 minutes during the playoffs.
Expectations of a Knicks playoff run are tempered by health issues, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. New York’s offseason acquisitions of Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah and Brandon Jennings improved its outlook but all have been hampered by major injuries in recent years, Berman notes. Team president Phil Jackson doesn’t dispute that injury concerns are the team’s biggest issue, Berman adds.

Sixers Notes: Noel, Okafor, Simmons, Ingram

May 28th, 2016 at 3:37pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Sixers’ need at point guard and the Celtics’ desire for help in the front court make them natural trading partners, says Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly. In a TV interview, she addressed rumors of a possible swap between the teams that would include Boston’s No. 3 pick and one of Philadelphia’s young big men, Jahlil Okafor or Nerlens Noel. Camerato thinks the Celtics would have to throw in a player — someone like Marcus Smart or Avery Bradley — and it would be a fair exchange because Boston would be getting a recent draftee who already has NBA experience. The Sixers would probably target Kris Dunn of Providence or Jamal Murray of Kentucky with that third pick.

There’s more out of Philadelphia:

If the Celtics have a choice in the deal, they should take Noel, opines Josue Pavon of WEEI. Pavon believes the 22-year-old Noel would be the rim protector that Boston needs and would be a better alternative than chasing Hassan Whiteside or Bismack Biyombo in free agency. Pavon speculates that the Sixers would ask less for Noel than for Okafor, and that the Celtics might be able to obtain him for the No. 3 pick, multiple second-round choices and a prospect such as Terry Rozier or James Young.
The Celtics shouldn’t give up too much for either Noel or Okafor, says A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE. Blakely notes that Boston has been slowly working its way into contender status, and he doesn’t believe either player significantly accelerates that process.
Ben Simmons hasn’t made a public comment since the Sixers won the draft lottery last week, writes John Smallwood of The Philadelphia Daily News. Smallwood says he can’t find a statement from Simmons on anything since he signed with the Klutch firm in March. In contrast, Duke’s Brandon Ingram, considered the other top candidate for Philly’s No. 1 choice, interviewed with the Sixers at the draft combine earlier this month. Smallwood says Simmons’ actions add to the perception that he wants Philadelphia to bypass him so he can go to the Lakers with the second pick. Still, the Sixers have a “strong preference” for Simmons, tweets Derek Bodner of PhillyMag.com, and he should be considered a heavy favorite to go at No. 1.

Celtics Notes: Mickey, Bender, Stevens

May 24th, 2016 at 6:45pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Celtics are armed with a wealth of picks in this June’s draft, but the team also remains high on last season’s crop of rookies, Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com writes. Team executive Danny Ainge believes that a number of Boston’s young players could blossom if given more playing time, Forsberg relays. Ainge also noted that he has received trade inquiries from other teams regarding power forward Jordan Mickey and point guard Terry Rozier, the scribe adds.

“I really believe it’s an opportunity league. There are many players that are sitting on benches on other teams that are stacked with talent that just don’t get an opportunity. We have some on our team,” Ainge said. “We think [2015 second-round pick] Jordan Mickey has a bright future and [2015 first-round pick] Terry Rozier has a bright future and we’ve gotten calls from other teams about them that say, ‘Those guys aren’t getting an opportunity in Boston, we want to get those guys to come play for us.’ But we’re going to try to be patient with them as well, and other young guys.”

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Brad Stevens said he doesn’t regret sitting the younger members of the team, with the coach adding that playing time needs to be earned in the NBA, Forsberg relays in the same piece. “No, because it’s earned. I mean, who are you sitting?” Stevens responded when asked if he had any regrets about his rotation. “This is professional basketball and I think that we had five good [guards/small forwards]. Marcus Smart is obviously young, but otherwise guys that have been in the league for a while and earned that time at those spots, when you start talking about the 1 through 3. … Usually we stayed with those five guys when we were healthy.“
The team also intends to scour the market for undervalued players, an approach that has served the team well in recent seasons, Forsberg also notes. “It really is an opportunity league and I think the last couple of years — the Jae Crowders of the world, Isaiah Thomas, guys that we’ve acquired via trade like Jonas Jerebko — they love the fact that they’re getting an opportunity to play and with that opportunity they’ve shined,” Ainge told reporters.
Maccabi Tel Aviv forward Dragan Bender told the Celtics that he would come to Boston for a workout after the Israeli season ends, Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe relays (via Twitter). Bender is the No. 3 overall prospect according to Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.

Atlantic Notes: Colangelo, Rozier, Raptors

April 12th, 2016 at 8:34pm CST by Eddie Scarito

New Sixers executive Bryan Colangelo believes that instilling the right culture is just as vital as finding talent in building an organization, pointing to the success that the Spurs have had using that formula, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. “You win with talent,” Colangelo said. “But you also win with talent plus chemistry plus culture. Those are all the things that are put in place here and that we really look forward to building.” The executive said he would pick the brain of coach Brett Brown, who was a longtime assistant coach with San Antonio, for tips on how that franchise operated, Pompey adds. “I want to know more about that San Antonio … perhaps we can call it that secret sauce,” Colangelo said. “What creates that environment? I can tell you that, over the years, I understand a lot of what drove that was their thought process, but also the type of people that they had involved.”

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Celtics rookie Terry Rozier has impressed many around the league with his rebounding ability and he hopes to garner more playing time from the exposure, Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com writes. “I think it’s a start. I think I can impact the game in a lot of ways and I appreciate a lot of people saying I’m getting better,” said Rozier. “I just feel I’m getting more comfortable. I know I’m capable of a lot of things [and] rebounding is definitely one of them. So if that’s going to help me get me in the game, help me with playing time, help this team out, then I’m all for it. It’s something that I’m always going to do, it’s an effort thing. It’s always going to be in me.” The 6’2″ point guard is averaging 1.6 rebounds in just 8.0 minutes per appearance on the campaign.
Raptors coach Dwane Casey believes his roster is better constructed to advance in the playoffs than previous seasons, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com relays (ESPN Now link). “I am not predicting what we will do differently but … physically, we are better built for the playoffs with Bismack Biyombo, Cory Joseph, DeMarre Carroll is coming back,”Casey said. “Last year, we were a strictly offensive-driven team with Greivis Vasquez and Lou Williams, who were great one-on-one offensive players but didn’t give it to us on the defensive end with the physicality. But we still have to go out there and do it … Everybody is curious and anxious [about how the Raptors will do]. A different feel with this year’s team [is we are] more confident in the grittiness and toughness of our team.“

Atlantic Notes: Rozier, Hinkie, Raptors

February 5th, 2016 at 6:33pm CST by Eddie Scarito

When asked what the Sixers need to move ahead in their rebuilding process, GM Sam Hinkie said Philadelphia needs to find talented players capable of leading the team deep into the playoffs, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer relays. “That’s critical,” Hinkie said. “We have several on the roster. We’ll need more. There’s not any one position or any one type of player. We’ll need talented players to take us to the next level.” Philadelphia will look to the upcoming draft in its pursuit of impact players, though Hinkie was coy on whom the franchise was targeting come June and would only say they want “gifted” players, Pompey adds. “Gifted ones that are wildly competitive, that want to be great in their craft, that have been blessed with real gifts, size and length and the like,” Hinkie said. “Turn on a late West Coast game and watch who’s lighting the league on fire now. You’ll see examples of it.”

Asked if the team would focus on the backcourt after going big the past two drafts despite the small-ball trend in the NBA, Hinkie told the Inquirer scribe, “I don’t think the league is going any one particular way, where you have to have this or that. You can look at our team and say we need more of this, and that makes sense too. We’re still after how do we put the building blocks in place.”

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

On a Celtics team that is laden with guards, rookie Terry Rozier has only appeared in 18 contests this season, but he is refusing to allow that to diminish his enthusiasm to be in the league, Spencer Davies of AmicoHoops.net relays. “It’ll all work out,” Rozier told Davies. “I don’t really worry about the naysayers or the things that are going on right now, because I know at the end of the day — I know I’m working. I know it’ll happen for me.”
Nuggets coach Michael Malone is familiar with the Raptors organization, with his father, Brendan Malone, having been the team’s first head coach in 1995/96. The younger Malone is impressed with how far the Toronto basketball culture has grown over the years, Chris O’Leary of The Toronto Star writes. “They’ve come a long way in so many areas,” Malone said. “I can remember my father as the first coach in Raptors history trying to educate the fans but also the media. A lot of the guys that covered the Raptors at the time really weren’t [knowledgeable] so he would have sessions after practice with the media talking just about the game of basketball.”

And-Ones: Bryant, Clippers, Heat, Celtics

January 24th, 2016 at 12:58pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Kobe Bryant still believes that AAU basketball is hurting the game, Baxter Holmes of ESPN.com writes. “I hate it because it doesn’t teach our players how to play the right way, how to think the game, how to play in combinations of threes,” Bryant said following the Lakers’ loss to the Blazers on Saturday. The 37-year-old added that he is thankful for his international upbringing. “My generation is when AAU basketball really started [to go downhill],” Bryant said. “I got lucky because I grew up in Europe and everything there was still fundamental, so I learned all the basics.”

Here’s more from around the NBA:

If the Clippers are going to trade away Chris Paul, the only plausible scenario would be sending him to Cleveland for Kyrie Irving, Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com argues in a piece that examines the team’s most valuable trade assets.
Lance Stephenson is the Clipper who is most likely to be traded, Pelton opines in the same piece. The shooting guard has played just a total of 41 minutes in the month of January and the team reportedly feels it would be better off in the long run if it could unload the 25-year-old. Pelton suggests that the team look to deal Stephenson to the Suns for P.J. Tucker or to the Blazers for Gerald Henderson.
Making a push for the playoffs is the only option for the Heat, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel argues. The team will send its first-round pick to the Sixers if it falls outside the top 10. If the pick does not convey, Philadelphia will receive Miami’s 2017 first-round pick regardless of where it lands, and Winderman believes that is a scenario to avoid due to the uncertainty surrounding this team during the upcoming offseason. Hassan Whiteside will be an unrestricted free agent. Dwyane Wade, who will turn 35 next season, will also be a free agent and it’s unclear how much of a burden that he will be able to carry should he re-sign with Miami.
The Celtics have recalled R.J. Hunter, Terry Rozier and James Young from the D-League Maine Red Claws, per the team’s Twitter feed.

Atlantic Notes: Thomas, Rozier, Mickey, Barnes

January 15th, 2016 at 6:39pm CST by Arthur Hill

Last season’s trade to the Celtics helped Isaiah Thomas blossom into an All-Star candidate, writes Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic. Thomas was an effective sixth man in Phoenix before the deal, averaging 15.2 points and 3.7 assists as part of a three-guard rotation with Eric Bledsoe and Goran Dragic. But he has blossomed this season in Boston, boosting his averages to 21.6 points and 6.7 assists while keeping the Celtics in the playoff race. “He’s a terrific player,” said Suns GM Ryan McDonough. “He’s having a heck of a year. I wish we could’ve got him to accept his role better or utilized him better ourselves. In retrospect, those three guys – Bledsoe, Dragic and Thomas – all being in their 20s and all having All-Star aspirations made it challenging. With their sizes, you couldn’t play all three together a lot and they were all starting-caliber players who deserved to play and had a lot of success in the league.”

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

The Celtics sent guard Terry Rozier and forward Jordan Mickey to their Maine affiliate in the D-League, the team tweeted today.
Grizzlies forward Matt Barnes implies that he had the support of at least one Knicks player in his altercation with New York coach Derek Fisher, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post. Barnes was suspended for two games for his actions in the fight with Fisher, which took place in October at the home of Barnes’ estranged wife. “It’s been great — my teammates, organization, other guys throughout the league, people from his team, people from other sports, people from the entertainment world,’’ Barnes said. “I’ve gotten a lot of support throughout the whole situation.”
Sixers coach Brett Brown has been impressed by the working relationship between GM Sam Hinkie and chairman of basketball operations Jerry Colangelo, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Since Colangelo was hired last month, the Sixers have hired Mike D’Antoni as associate head coach, traded for Ish Smith and signed veteran Elton Brand. “There’s another way to see where we are at,” Brown said, “and different [eyes] coming in and making clean assessments about where we are at.”

Atlantic Notes: Mickey, Colangelo, Ainge

January 14th, 2016 at 6:20pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Celtics are in no rush to push rookie power forward Jordan Mickey into action at the NBA level and plan to continue his development in the D-League until he is better prepared to compete for minutes with the team’s other frontcourt players, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com relays. When asked about the organization’s plan for Mickey, team executive Danny Ainge told Blakely, “Jordan is making progress. His minutes in the D-League are very valuable. But until he gets to this level, we won’t really know for sure. In order for him to get to this level of play, Jordan hasn’t proven right now that he’s better than say, David Lee or Tyler Zeller and Kelly Olynyk, and two of those guys [Lee and Zeller] have had trouble getting the kind of minutes they would like. Those guys are certainly better players than Jordan right now. But we’re not in a rush to get Jordan playing. Jordan has been better from the first day of training camp, than we actually thought he would be. He’s really come in with a great attitude. He’s worked hard in the D-League. It’s helping him. Him and Terry Rozier both, we’re real high on them. We know these guys are NBA players. There’s not any question. But to say they’re better than our rotation players now, is a stretch.”

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Ainge also told Blakely that the team is seeking to make some moves to better balance out its roster. “I just want to do the deals that help us build. It’s all about building up to the team that we want to be,” Ainge said. “We’ve had a lot of conversations and a lot of ideas on how we can improve our team. We have to find other teams willing to do what we want to do. That’s not easy. But we like all the players on our team. We have too many. That’s been a challenge for a few guys in particular.”
New Sixers executive Jerry Colangelo expects the team to accelerate its rebuilding efforts now that he is aboard, but he did credit GM Sam Hinkie for making a number of shrewd trades, Bob Cooney of The Philadelphia Daily News writes. “The reality is, and I’ve come to understand this, Sam has done a really great job of accumulating assets. If you look at the trades, if you look the draft picks that have been accumulated, it’s all there in place,” Colangelo said. “And now it’s a matter of when do you pull the trigger on using all those assets or any of those assets. As I look at the board, if you will, I see some things that could happen sooner rather than later. That’s because if somebody gets healthy [Joel Embiid]. If the player from Europe comes in [Dario Saric] and is part of the rotation and we will have a very high draft pick. Then using some of those assets to do other things to consider, be it free agency, be it a trade, whatever. This thing could flip a lot sooner than people understand.”

Atlantic Notes: Embiid, Ujiri, D-League

January 13th, 2016 at 8:31pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Raptors are currently enjoying one of the most successful runs in franchise history and GM Masai Ujiri needs to capitalize on that momentum by swinging for the fences at the trade deadline this season, Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca writes. The most effective way to add to the team’s core would be to use the team’s surplus of first round picks, four in the next two years, which could land an impact player, Grange notes. The Sportsnet scribe does acknowledge the team may face stiff competition to re-sign future unrestricted free agent DeMar DeRozan, and building around him could be a risky proposition as a result, but it would be folly for the team to not go all in this season and shoot for the stars in the trade market.

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Joel Embiid‘s hiring of Leon Rose as his new agent is a positive move for the Sixers, Jake Fischer of Liberty Ballers opines (on Twitter). The scribe points to Rose being based out of New Jersey and his history of representing Sixers players as reasons for his optimism. The center’s former agency, the Wasserman Group, is based out of Los Angeles.
The continued emergence of rookie Jerian Grant changes the dynamic of the Knicks‘ offense, and the point guard’s energy and defense have become assets to the team, Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com writes.
The Celtics have recalled power forward Jordan Mickey and point guard Terry Rozier from their D-League affiliate in Maine, the team announced. This was Mickey’s ninth stint with the Red Claws on the season and Rozier’s fifth.