Rozier Wants Out Of Celtics, Reveals Favoritism Towards Irving, Hayward

Terry Rozier has laid bare the difficulties the Boston Celtics faced this season as the team tried to adapt to Kyrie Irving’s style of play, while he also revealed the coaches treated the six-time All-Star and Gordon Hayward differently compared to the rest of the team.

The Celtics finished fourth in the Eastern Conference after initially being touted as the favorites to progress to the NBA Finals and then they were unceremoniously knocked in the second round of the playoffs by Milwaukee Bucks, who were the best team in the NBA this season.

Brad Stevens’ team made the Eastern Conference finals last year without Irving and Hayward in the team and were expected to be unbeatable once they returned from their respective injuries at the start of the season. But the team failed to find the cohesion required and a very inconsistent regular season.

Rozier, who had played a key role in last year’s post-season run, saw his time on the court almost halved in the playoffs, and has indicated that he wants out if the Celtics make no changes to the team in the summer. The Boston franchise is keen to retain Irving but the odds favor the point guard to look for pastures new when he enters free agency in July.

"No, I might have to go, I might have to go,” Rozier replied when presented that scenario Tuesday on ESPN’s “First Take.” “I put up with a lot this year. I said what I said after the season, and I think we all know that I’m not trying to step into that again.”

The 25-year-old point guard also feels the team struggled to “figure out” the plan as the coaches treated Irving and Gordon on another level compared to others. And due to their superstar status of being All-Star’s they did not have to make any changes to their game.

“I feel like that along with the coaches, them treating Gordon and Kyrie — I don’t want to say different than everybody else — but I felt like they just treated them like they were on that level where there were no adjustments that could be made because they are who they are,” Rozier added. “We never figured it out after that.”

Rozier praised Irving’s leadership during his second interview of the day on ESPN’s “Get Up” but that’s where the praise seemed to end after which he revealed that the team had to do what Irving wanted while having to adjust to his style, which he feels was detrimental in the long run.

“You just have to adjust to his style. Whatever Kyrie wants done, he’s gonna show it, that’s what he wants done. And you have to adjust to his style of play and how he goes about every game and every day,” he said.