Are Terry Rozier’s Efficiency Struggles Preventing Miami Heat Long-Term Success?

Bryan Townes | 3 Hours Ago

Oct 8, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier (2) brings the ball up court against the Charlotte Hornets during the first quarter at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Despite coming off his best start to a season in his career for the Charlotte Hornets, Terry Rozier’s efficiency has been inconsistent since being traded to the Miami Heat.

At the start of last season, Rozier averaged 23.2 points and 6.6 assists on 45.9 percent shooting and 35.8 percent from three-point range through 30 games. It is important to note he was the Hornets’ top-scoring option on an underperforming team.

Rozier’s overall efficiency decreased once he joined the Heat at the trade deadline despite being a second- or third-scoring option in most games. He averaged 16.4 points and 4.6 assists on 42 percent shooting and 37.1 percent from three-point range in 31 games. Thirteen of those games resulted in Rozier shooting under 40 percent from the field.

A commonality in those inefficient games is he shot 19.5 percent from three-point range. Rozier has always attempted a high volume of three-pointers in his career, especially on the Hornets. He is no longer the top scoring option because he plays next to three other 20-point scorers. Now, his overall efficiency often reflects how Rozier shot from three-point range due to fewer shot attempts than when he was with the Hornets.

With an entire offseason and training camp with the Heat, Rozier should feel much more comfortable in his new role. It is just important to watch for these same patterns because they showed up in the preseason opener against the Hornets, where Rozier shot 30 percent from the field and zero percent from three-point range.

Bryan Townes is a contributor to Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at btownesjr@gmail.com or on X @bryantownesjr11. Follow our coverage on Facebook.