New York Knicks: Derrick Rose Embracing Leadership Role
The New York Knicks need players to step up and hold their teammates accountable. Derrick Rose is embracing the opportunity to do so.
The New York Knicks have taken a calculated risk on starting point guard Derrick Rose. The 28-year-old from Chicago has endured a long list of injuries and an even more extensive list of criticisms from fans around the NBA.
Six games into the 2016-17 NBA regular season, Rose has already begun to win over the critics who doubted him.
Through six games, Rose has displayed a similar athletic burst to what helped him become an MVP in 2010-11. Questions still exist pertaining to his ability to lead, but Rose has accepted that challenge head-on.
According to Marc Berman of The New York Post, Rose compared his leadership style to one of the greatest leaders and champions in NBA history: Tim Duncan.
"“People didn’t understand me,’’ Rose said during the Chicago visit. “I didn’t let them. I was too focused. We were losing. So I held everything in. I didn’t voice my opinion the way I wanted to. And the way I expressed it was being quiet.”“People lead in different ways — you have your leaders like Kobe [Bryant],’’ Rose said. “He’s more personal, intimate, in your face about it. Leaders like myself and Tim Duncan, we lead by example. Coming in every day and being consistent with our workouts. That we’re focused and trying to get better. I lead in different ways. I lead by example.’’"
That’s a bold claim, but Rose certainly has the raw talent, explosiveness, and pure energy to hold his teammates accountable in practices and games.
Through six games, Rose is averaging 16.3 points, 4.8 assists, 4.5 rebounds, 1.0 steal, and 0.7 blocks in 33.0 minutes per game. He’s doing so on a quality slash line of .442/.250/.929 and is committing just 2.5 turnovers per contest.
Rose has taken his game to an entirely new level over the past two games, during which he’s answered the call of the critics who claimed he wasn’t facilitating enough.
Rose torched his former team, the Chicago Bulls, for 15 points, 11 assists, seven rebounds, one steal, and a block in a 117-104 victory. One game later, he tallied 18 points, eight assists, four rebounds, and a steal in a 114-109 loss to the Utah Jazz.
In both of those games, Rose stepped up in the clutch by hitting shots and making plays late in the fourth quarter.
Unfortunately, the Knicks sit at 2-4 through six games and are in danger of letting this season get away from them. The defense has been atrocious and the second unit has struggled to do much of anything.
Per Berman, Rose is ready to hold himself and his teammates accountable on both ends of the floor.
"“It hurts losing,’’ Rose said. “I’m not going to sit here and lie to you. It hurts. It sucks. We got to learn from it. I’m seeing improvement about building the chemistry. But where one guy messes up, we have to give extra effort on that play to stop the ball. It’s all about covering up for each other.’’"
The Knicks certainly need a sense of accountability.
The defense hasn’t suffered because of a lack of talent, but instead a shortage of effort and tenacity. The closeouts have been without much energy whatsoever and the rotations have followed suit.
Though Rose may not be the most revered leader in NBA history, he’s ready to embrace that role in 2016-17.
Must Read: Derrick Rose on the Knicks: 'Defense Is Everything'
The New York Knicks’ clash with the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday, November 9 will provide a golden opportunity for Rose’s leadership to shine through.