New York Knicks: Cleveland Loss Proves Derrick Rose Is The X-Factor

5. The Third Option

There’s a reason why teams have bought into the theory that contenders need a Big Three. The salary cap prevents most teams from adding more than three stars, yes, but the benefit is that, if one star goes cold, there are still two to pick up the slack.

In the case of the New York Knicks, Rose is the bridge between Carmelo Anthony, Kristaps Porzingis, and a roster that’s flush with players who aren’t yet reliable for 20 points in a pinch.

Rose is currently averaging 16.7 points per game on 45.0 percent shooting from the field. Those numbers have jumped to 18.8 points per game on 45.8 percent shooting over his past 10 appearances.

Much bigger than the season averages, however, is the fact that Rose has been the opportunistic scorer who has kept the offense flowing at a steady pace.

Anthony and Porzingis are both good for 20-plus points per game, but every player has the occasional poor performance. The key to a team being able to overcome however, is to have a third player who can complement one of the two stars who’s still scoring at a high rate.

With Rose, the Knicks not only have a player who can be that type of complement, but a player who can take over a game entirely.