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When the Miami Heat acquired Terry Rozier from the Charlotte Hornets, Rozier went from a team well out of the playoff hunt to one right in the think of it. Rozier seems very aware of this, as he took a shot at his former team when talking to reporters about how the Heat react to losing.
“It’s the total opposite. In Charlotte, you’re kinda used to losing. It’s in the DNA, and it sucks to say that because of how much of a competitor I am. But over here, it’s the total opposite. Nobody wants to lose. Nobody is fine with it,” Rozier told reporters on January 30, per Locked on Heat’s Wes Goldberg’s X account.
Rozier then explained that how the Heat value winning makes them stand out compared to other teams.
“I think it’s no secret that everybody knows the differences between some organizations in the league, how well some people take winning, the culture of things. But this is the top.”
Rozier helped the Boston Celtics make the playoff his first four NBA seasons. After joining the Hornets, Rozier never saw the playoffs. That could change knowing the Heat’s aspirations. Unfortunately, the Heat have not won since Rozier’s arrival.
Terry Rozier Calls Out Bleacher Report After Comments
After Terry Rozier’s comments went viral, Bleacher Report’s X account aggregated his words in a January 30 tweet.
Rozier himself saw Bleacher Report’s tweet and took it upon himself to respond, writing, “I’m just talkin the vibes after a lost…yall the worse” with a crying laughing emoji.
It makes sense that, as Rozier describes it, the vibes are different in Miami compared to Charlotte. The Heat have appeared in three of the last four Eastern Conference Finals. Not only that, but they have also made the NBA Finals twice in that same timespan.
The Heat still have their core players from each of those three runs with Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Tyler Herro among others. Rozier alone comes with his own playoff pedigree, having played for Celtics teams that made the Eastern Conference Finals for two consecutive years.
Erik Spoelstra’s Thoughts on Terry Rozier’s Adjustment
Terry Rozier’s start with the Heat has not gone as planned. At the same time, integrating a new player takes time. On January 29, Heat Head Coach Erik Spoelstra expressed his patience in Rozier, believing Rozier can bring new elements to the Heat.
“He’ll figure it out,” Spoelstra said, per The Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang. “He’s trying to fit in and I get that. We’re all saying the same thing. We want Terry to be Terry. He’s going to unlock other things for us. You can see the burst that he gives us, the rim pressure, which we need. That’s not just the head coach saying that, that’s his teammates saying that.”
Four games into his Heat tenure, Rozier is averaging 11.8 points while shooting 38.3% from the field and 35.3% from three. However, Rozier is coming off his best performance in Miami against the Phoenix Suns. Against the Suns, he put up 21 points while knocking down four three-pointers.
The Heat lost anyway, but Rozier is starting to sprout.
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