It’s no secret that Derrick Rose will bring something new to the New York Knicks. The question is, what exactly is he providing?
The New York Knicks have fully embraced the need for a productive and dynamic point guard. Having long stated that chasing a point guard was unnecessary, Phil Jackson changed his tune mere days before free agency.
In one of the more surprising trades in recent memory, the Knicks dealt Jose Calderon, Jerian Grant, and Robin Lopez to the Chicago Bulls for Derrick Rose, Justin Holiday, and a second-round draft pick.
Though Lopez was a fan favorite and Grant has potential, many Knicks fans applauded this trade. Rose provides immediate value at point guard, and he comes with minimal risk due to the fact that he’s on the last year of his contract.
Though the move is low-risk, high-reward, many remain skeptical about what it is that Rose brings to the table.
Rose is far removed from being the 2011 NBA MVP. He’s suffered a number of injuries in the years that have followed, playing just 10 games between 2012-13 and 2013-14, 51 in 2014-15, and 66 in 2015-16.
When he’s healthy and active, however, Rose can provide a number of critical elements that were missing from the Knicks’ 2015-16 roster.
Next: Never Before?
5. Changing The Triangle
The New York Knicks are running a modern adaptation of the Triangle Offense. The 3-point shot and the need to push the pace will give it a new look, and the original formation remains a solid foundation for when the Knicks need a quick bucket.
If you ask Derrick Rose, his mere presence can change the Triangle Offense as the most athletic point guard that the system has ever been run with. Per Lang Whitaker of NBA.com.
"This is the first time I think the Triangle will really ever have an athletic point guard in that position. So who knows? All I have to do is make sure my catch-and-shoot is pretty good with this team, and like I said, be prepared."
There’s enough truth in that statement to evaluate it.
The Triangle Offense has alienated some Knicks fans, but it may be the most successful system in NBA history. Having Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal, and Scottie Pippen certainly helps, but Phil Jackson’s 11 rings speak for themselves.
For the critics: between Bryant, Jordan, O’Neal, and Pippen, there’s a combined one championship won without Jackson and the Triangle Offense.
Thus, the notion of a modernized Triangle Offense is one that Knicks fans should be excited about. An athletic point guard adds an entirely new element to a system that’s never truly embraced the need for a dynamic point guard until now.
The hope is that Hornacek, an All-Star combo guard during his playing days, can find the perfect balance with Rose running point.
Next: Push It
4. Transition Offense
The New York Knicks were the worst team in the NBA in two major areas in 2015-16. The other will be addressed on a future slide, but the first is just as significant as it pertains to developing a rhythm offensively.
The Knicks were the worst team in the NBA at generating fast break points, which makes the presence of a shifty scorer at point guard all the more valuable.
The Knicks generated just 8.4 fast break points per game in 2015-16—by far the worst mark in the NBA. New York was also No. 29 with 12.1 transition points per game, and No. 26 in transition possessions per game.
The Knicks don’t need to improve the latter two numbers very much, but they must be able to generate such possessions with improved efficiency.
Getting out in transition doesn’t always mean achieving success as a team, and failing to doesn’t always lead to failure. Being able to do so, however, is a skill that a smart coach can put to use with situational tactics.
Derrick Rose has long played as more of a half court point guard, but his end-to-end speed enables him to be a potentially lethal threat in transition.
Next: Signature Play
3. Pick and Roll
The bread and butter of Jeff Hornacek‘s offense with the Phoenix Suns was the pick and roll. That’s hardly surprising when one considers that Hornacek comes from the coaching trees of Jerry Sloan and Cotton Fitzsimmons.
Though the New York Knicks project to have a far more versatile half court offense than Phoenix was able to, the pick and roll remains a key cog in Hornacek’s system—something the coach told Rose, per Lang Whitaker of NBA.com.
"Then you think about the Triangle for playoffs, the Triangle for halfcourt basketball. I talked to Coach Horn, and he was saying with the Triangle he would have to vary the Triangle to have a lot of pick and rolls in there at the top of the key or on the side. So it’s really whatever they decide to do, and I have to find my way around it."
Here’s the issue: Rose isn’t very proficient in facilitating via the pick and roll—yet.
The positive is that Rose did a solid job of scoring off of the pick and roll in 2015-16. He ranked No. 10 in the NBA with 7.2 points as the pick and roll ball handler per game, and shot a relatively efficient 44.4 percent on said plays.
The issue is that Rose wasn’t a very willing passer, which he’ll need to be in order for Jeff Hornacek’s system to run as smoothly as it can.
Nevertheless, one can’t help but feel intrigued by what Rose brings to the table. Carmelo Anthony and Jose Calderon led the Knicks with 2.4 points as the pick and roll ball handler per game respectively, which was one-third of what Rose provided.
Rose isn’t a flawless player, but the areas in which he excels are the areas in which the Knicks’ 2015-16 point guards struggled. This is Exhibit A.
Next: Get In There
2. Creating Penetration
No team was worse at getting to the basket in 2015-16 than the New York Knicks. To take that a step further, no team was worse at generating primary penetration to collapse the defense and open up the perimeter than the Knicks.
With no hyperbole whatsoever, Rose is nearly as productive a slasher as the entire 2015-16 Knicks team combined.
Rose finished the 2015-16 season at No. 14 in the NBA with 8.9 drives per game. By comparison, the Knicks ranked dead last in the Association with 15.5 drives per game—just 6.6 more than Rose had individually.
You can spin that any way you want, but when a team fails to create penetration, adding a player who can is a wise decision.
Rose was also No. 9 in the NBA with 6.9 points via drives per game on 51.0 percent shooting. As a team, the Knicks averaged a league-worst 10.4 points via drives per game—just 3.5 more than Rose scored individually.
Rose will need to be a more willing passer in 2015-16—0.6 assists via drives per game—but if he’s willing to embrace the facilitator’s role, he can change the dynamic of New York’s offense.
Next: No. 1
1. Attack Mode
The skills that Derrick Rose bring to the table have been addressed. The new element that will have the strongest impact on the New York Knicks, however, has less to do with what he does than how he does it.
In stark contrast to the Knicks’ point guards from the 2015-16 season, Rose is always in attack mode.
In 2015-16, Jose Calderon was passive, Jerian Grant was tentative, and Langston Galloway picked his spots. Rose can be aggressive to a fault, but it’s easier to win with a player who’s too aggressive than it is with one who isn’t aggressive enough.
Thus, while Rose may be more prone to turnovers and unfavorable shot attempts, he’s also more likely to create something spectacular.
With a point guard who’s always on the attack, the Knicks now have a floor general whom teams must actually account for. Rose may not be the slasher that he used to be, but the fact that he’s as persistent as he is means his opponent cannot consistently cheat on defense.
If they do, then Rose can hit the openings he’s given and exploit the opposition for a quick two points.
must read: Key improvements made in free agency
Though the Knicks have improved on many fronts, no positional upgrade will be more important to the team’s postseason aspirations than landing Rose at point guard.