Pro: Steady Improvements
All things considered, Derrick Rose has gotten back to the point of being a productive NBA player. He still isn’t the star that he used to be, but he’s making the necessary improvements to play at a high level again.
If Jeff Hornacek believes that his system can bring the best out of Rose, then perhaps it’d be worth looking into.
Rose’s season averages of 16.4 points, 4.7 assists, and 3.4 rebounds aren’t terribly impressive. His slash line of .427/.293/.793 is downright inefficient, and that alone offers reason to stay away.
The New York Knicks would simply be remiss to ignore the progressive improvements that Rose made during the 2015-16 season.
After the 2016 All-Star Break, Rose averaged 17.4 points in 30.9 minutes on a slash line of .468/.375/.784. From December 10 on—his first game without a protective mask—he averaged 17.3 points on 44.9 percent shooting in a healthy sample size of 49 games played.
If the Knicks were to land a point guard who averaged 17 points per game on 45 percent shooting, then Phil Jackson would be able to call that a win.
Next: Con