4. Derrick Rose Is Still Explosive
Derrick Rose may never throw together another highlight reel of poster dunks and alley-oop finishes. What’s becoming abundantly clear, however, is that Rose is still one of the most explosive players in the NBA.
Rose crossed the minutes out of Mike Conley, exploited the Memphis Grizzlies in transition, and got to the basket whenever he wanted to.
Rose finished with 13 points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a block in 32 minutes of action. He shot 6-of-13 from the field, played at a surprisingly high level defensively, and didn’t commit a single turnover.
Bigger than the numbers was the fact that Rose had no trouble whatsoever creating penetration and finishing at the rim.
DON’T BLINK or you will miss 🌹. #Knicks #NYKvsMEM pic.twitter.com/x2hK8z5Qhp
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) October 30, 2016
The Knicks had the least athletic backcourt in the NBA last season. The statistical proof of that subjective belief is that New York ranked dead last in fast break points, drives per game, and points via drives per game.
The injuries created doubt, but there’s no rational way around it: Rose is still one of the fastest players in the NBA.