Celtics rookie Rozier has knee drained

The Boston Celtics will be a little thin at the point this week.

Rookie Terry Rozier had his knee drained after experiencing swelling last week and will sit out preseason games on Wednesday and Friday. He tweaked the knee early in camp and tried to work around it, but admits he should have said something sooner.

"I thought I could just get through it," Rozier told reporters Monday. "But lesson learned from that. But it's nothing serious. It just has me off my feet right now."

Rozier downplayed any major concern, saying he feels good but that the team wants him to "calm down a little bit." The No. 16 overall pick has been getting rave reviews from teammates in camp, enough that head coach Brad Stevens has said Rozier could force his way into the rotation. This setback, though, could hurt his chances of opening the season as a regular member of the rotation.

Penciled in behind Marcus Smart and Isaiah Thomas, Rozier could still carve out minutes thanks to Stevens' openness to multi-point guard lineups. Smart is capable of playing the two, and Rozier - 6-foot-2 but with a 6-foot-8 wingspan - may be able to do the same. He could also see time in Maine with the Celtics' D-League affiliate, where he would receive more playing time and gain experience running the team's offensive system.

In two preseason games, Rozier has scored 23 points on 9-of-14 shooting in 33 minutes, adding five assists and two steals. The Louisville product struggled to score efficiently in summer league action but it's generally believed he'll be able to get to the rim and score through contact at the NBA level.

You can read more about Rozier in our pre-draft scouting report.