Terry Rozier on Backup Role with Celtics: Everyone Will Sacrifice to Win

Boston Celtics point guard Terry Rozier made the most of his opportunity when Kyrie Irving was lost for the season in April, but with his All-Star teammate working his way back from knee surgery, the former Louisville Cardinals star is willing to do whatever it takes to help his team win.

Even if it means coming off the bench again.

"I'm not worried about it," Rozier said Saturday, via ESPN's Chris Forsberg. "Kinda control what I can control. We all got one goal and that's to win. We all get love when we win. That should be everybody's mindset. It's going to be a lot of fun."

Rozier noted that everyone on the team is all-in on the team-first philosophy. After all, Boston made it to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals this past season without Irving and Gordon Hayward—who suffered a gruesome leg injury on opening night—before losing to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Adding the two All-Stars back into the mix should only give the Celtics an even better chance of coming out of the East in 2019, especially since James has moved to the Western Conference with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Rozier was a big part of why Boston was able to make a deep playoff run. He averaged 16.5 points, 5.7 assists and 5.3 rebounds in 19 postseason games.

During his team's seven-game victory over the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round, he stepped up in a big way by averaging 17.6 points, 6.7 assists and 4.3 rebounds. The Celtics were 3-0 when he topped 20 points in the series.

It would be understandable for Rozier to believe he has earned a starting role, given his performance in Irving's absence. Add in the fact that the 24-year-old is set to be a restricted free agent next summer, and he has plenty of reason to be itching to start.

However, his focus is strictly on helping Boston raise an 18th banner to the rafters.

Rozier made it clear, via Forsberg, that he believes his team can be "special" next season:

It certainly doesn't hurt that Boston will once again have a Finals hero back on the court.

With Irving set to be an unrestricted free agent next summer, the Celtics are all-in on the 2018-19 season. It may not be long before Rozier has an opportunity to start at point guard for a team, but head coach Brad Stevens doesn't have to worry about playing time being an issue this season.