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

4. Facilitating

The New York Knicks have one of the better facilitators in the NBA in backup point guard Brandon Jennings. When just one player is relied upon to create ball movement, however, teams tend to fall apart over time.

Even with Joakim Noah in the mix, the Knicks need Rose for his uncanny ability to collapse a defense and find the open man.

Rose is averaging 4.8 assists per game, which isn’t an elite mark by any stretch of the imagination. He’s becoming a more willing passer as the season progresses, however, and is beginning to better recognize his available options.

Rose is playing this season in stages—getting comfortable with his body, finding his midrange shot, and so forth—and distributing will fit into the equation.

Rose and Jennings are currently combining to create 24.1 points per game via assists. That may or may not be the number Jeff Hornacek is aiming for, but both players are creating upwards of 12.0 points per game and no other Knick is averaging more than 6.6.

Whether it shows up in the assists column or not, Rose is critical to the Knicks’ ability to keep the ball in motion.