The Boston Celtics struggled out of the gate to begin the 2018-19 NBA season, and many wondered if the team would live up to the lofty expectations surrounding it.
Boston hit the .500 mark at 10-10 when it was defeated by the Dallas Mavericks on Nov. 24, and there were reports earlier this season Rozier was unhappy with the amount of playing time he was receiving after his performance in last season’s playoffs. Danny Ainge debunked those rumors, though, and Rozier began to play better.
So what changed between now and then? Ainge believes it boils down to one simple thing:
“The way that so much stuff gets reported and written now, it could be nothing or it could be Terry saying something to somebody at some point like, ‘Damn, I’m just frustrated,’ and that leads to him being really frustrated,” the Celtics president of basketball operations told Yahoo! Sports. “Heck, we’re all frustrated half the time. I played 18 years of professional sports, and half the games I didn’t play as well as I wanted. When I played well, I usually wasn’t as frustrated, regardless of what role I was playing.”
Rozier said he’s been able to turn his season around because he changed one thing heading into games:
“My attitude,” he said.
While the C’s continue to play their best basketball of the season, Ainge praised Rozier for the attitude adjustment, noting how it helps his teammates.
“I’m giving Terry all the credit for having a paradigm shift, and he’s playing better. It’s a good message for all the players. You don’t always get what you want, but the choices you make are important,” Ainge said. “You can either pout and feel miserable or you can have a positive attitude and make a positive impact.”
Rozier is riding a four-game double-digit point streak after he contributed 11 points in Boston’s thrilling 130-125 victory over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night.
