One of the Boston Celtics' toughest competitors in the Eastern Conference upgraded their roster earlier this week when the Miami Heat acquired point guard Terry Rozier in a trade with the Charlotte Hornets.
Rozier was averaging career highs of 23.2 points and 6.3 assists per game at the time of the trade. He's unlikely to score that much on a Heat team with more offensive depth than the Hornets, but the veteran guard does make Miami a much tougher team to defend with his ability to finish at the rim and shoot well from the outside.
🔊 Celtics Talk: Rozier to the Heat. Doc to the Bucks. Digesting all the Celtics’ rivals moves with Bobby Marks | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Boston sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
The Celtics could get their first look at Rozier in a Heat uniform when these two rivals play in Miami on Thursday night.
"I'm happy for him. He kind of fits in (to what) their culture represents," Celtics guard Jaylen Brown told reporters in Miami on Wednesday when asked about the Rozier trade.
How exactly does Rozier fit the Heat's culture?
"He's tough, a competitor, physical, that type of mindset," Brown explained. "Playoff experience. I think he goes along with all of that."
From a basketball perspective, Brown thinks Rozier will make a smooth transition to the Heat lineup.
"I think they get better, for sure," Brown said. "Terry has athleticism, playoff experience, and all of that kind of stuff. I think he'll fit right in."
The Celtics have not yet made a move ahead of the Feb. 8 trade deadline, although their options are fairly limited. Health is what really matters for the Celtics. Unlike many of the other contenders in the East, the C's don't have any glaring weaknesses on their roster that need to be addressed.
The Celtics will enter Thursday's matchup with a 34-10 record atop the NBA and Eastern Conference standings. They beat the Heat 119-111 at TD Garden in the second game of the season back in October. They will finish up their season series against the Heat with two games over the next three weeks (both in Miami).
The Heat are sixth in the East with a 24-19 record. They've lost three games in a row, and you can be sure their players and fans will be pretty fired up for Thursday's showdown. It'll be the first Celtics-Heat game in Miami since the historic Game 6 of the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals.
