The New York Knicks are open to the possibility of re-signing point guard Derrick Rose. There’s little to gain from exploring that opportunity.
In Charley Rosen’s latest article for FanRag Sports, he makes the case for the New York Knicks to re-sign Derrick Rose this offseason. There are differing opinions on Rose, but when Rosen writes about the Knicks, it typically gets increased attention due to his close connection to Phil Jackson.
Though Rosen resents being labeled as, “Phil’s mouthpiece,” it’s hard to deny how his articles always seem to conveniently fit Jackson’s reported positions and that are conveniently timed.
For instance, as Jackson was being lambasted for taking trade calls on Kristaps Porzingis, Rosen was one of the very few voices in the media who defended it. When Rosen wrote about why it would be better for Carmelo Anthony to waive his no trade clause before the deadline, it was undeniable his points coincided with one’s Jackson has held all season long.
So when Rosen writes a piece speculating why, and at how much, the Knicks should re-sign Rose for, it’s common to consider it part of what Jackson may be thinking.
It’s obvious Rose isn’t the player he used to be, but it’s also true that his last season for the Knicks wasn’t a disaster. Statistically, his numbers were better than what most might have expected, and he even managed to keep his health intact for a full season.
That may actually be the most surprising aspect of Rose’s progress.
Other than the incident where he skipped out on a game without telling the team, he’s managed to stay in the good graces of Jackson. Rose even impressed Jackson during his exit interview, which we know is something that’s taken quite seriously around here.
That said: I can’t seem to make much sense out of bringing him back. With the Knicks embarking on a full rebuild, it doesn’t seem there’s any real purpose of allowing Rose to continue as the Knicks’ starting point guard.
His ISO-heavy style of offense doesn’t do much to benefit the rest of the team’s young players. With Frank Ntilikina being described as project, is Rose really the NBA vet you want mentoring him?
With all due respect to Rose, his style of play is becoming out of favor in the modern NBA. If Jackson really does want high-character guys in the locker room to change the culture, it seems hypocritical to penalize Prorizings for missing an interview and reward Rose for missing a game.
With the Knicks not being in serious contention for anything meaningful, it could very well be the case that giving starting minutes to Rose could actually come at a developmental cost to Ntilikina.
Ntilikina may have already surpassed him in both defense and court vision based on what he has shown from his play in France.
It’s justifiable not wanting Ntilikina to start right away and risk having his confidence take a hit from learning the NBA’s evolving style of play. I simply think there are other veteran point guards who may be better suited to take on the role as mentor.
Veteran point guards who come at a much cheaper cost include former Knicks Jose Calderon and Langston Galloway.
I’m not even sure what Rose has to gain himself by returning to a team that isn’t going to be playoff-ready anytime soon, when he easily can join a winning team that can use a boost in scoring.
As Carmelo Anthony has constantly reiterated, perhaps some players really just love New York.
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Derrick Rose has value to the New York Knicks, but the bad outweighs the good in this situation.