The Jury’s Out: Can He Be A Playmaker?
There have been times in 2016-17 where Derrick Rose has looked the part of a genuinely elite playmaker. Between his ability to create for himself and his proficiency as a passer, Rose has the tools to take over a game.
The question is: can Rose discover the consistency as a facilitator that he’s been unable to find over the past three seasons?
Rose is currently averaging 4.9 assists per game overall and 5.1 assists per game over his past 10 appearances. He’s No. 17 in passes made per game, but is No. 31 in potential assists—a measurement of the number of passes a player makes that lead to scoring opportunities.
Rose is more than willing to play without the ball and help as a decoy, but he needs to be more consistent in the scoring opportunities he creates for his teammates.
Rose is Top 5 in the NBA in points via drives per game, which implies what’s true: defenses often collapse because of his drives. His ability to score shouldn’t be eliminated, but he must be more willing to utilize those opportunities to set his teammates up with accurate passes.
Running more pick and roll would help Rose, but he must also recognize the opportunities to facilitate without having a play run directly for him.
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There are just as many reasons to believe that re-signing Rose is the right move as there are to oppose it. The question is: what should Phil Jackson do?
Hit the comments section and let us know, Knicks fans!