Pro: Slashing Ability
No matter how one may feel about Derrick Rose’s overall approach to the game, there’s no denying how proficient he is on the drive. He may not be the MVP he was in 2011, but he’s a force of nature with a surplus of moves when he gets into the paint.
The New York Knicks need a player who can consistently break a defense down and get to the rim, and Rose continues to rank amongst the league’s elite in that regard.
Rose finished the 2016-17 regular season at No. 4 in the NBA in points via drives per game. He did so on 51.2 percent shooting, which was a more efficient percentage than the marks posted by the likes of Damian Lillard and Russell Westbrook.
Rose may not offer many other ways of scoring at a consistently high level, but he remains elite as far as driving and finishing is concerned.
It’s also worth noting that Rose made 125 midrange jump shots on 44.0 percent shooting in 2016-17. That’s both solid volume and a strong measure of efficiency that spanned most angles of the court.
That was no more true than when defenses forced Rose left.
Derrick Rose was quite efficient from midrange in 2016-17. pic.twitter.com/gnnTsmyGcf
— Maxwell Ogden (@MaxwellOgden) June 24, 2017
Considering Frank Ntilikina’s primary weakness is his inability to consistently turn the corner against athletic defenders, Rose could have temporary value while the rookie polishes his game.