Could a reunion between Tom Thibodeau and Derrick Rose be in the cards for the New York Knicks?
Well, this one is definitely out of the blue. It was reported by a respected NBA writer and insider, Shams Charania, that the New York Knicks would be interested in trading for Derrick Rose, who currently plays for the Detroit Pistons.
Rose, who is now 32 years old, was once a member of the orange and blue, even though it feels like ages ago. In the 2016 offseason, former president Phil Jackson traded for Rose, which brought the point guard to New York, ending his eight year tenure with the Chicago Bulls.
The lone season that Rose spent with the Knicks was a bit of roller coaster. Actually, the entire 2016-2017 season for the New York Knicks has to be up there in terms of dysfunction. Rose put up solid numbers during his time with the Knicks, averaging 18 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game, while shooting 47 percent from the filed. However, he did have his flaws as a shooter from deep, only shooting 21 percent from three, while also having struggles on the defensive end.
It’s also worth noting that Rose made headlines throughout the league for going AWOL for a game. Rose had left New York to go back to his hometown of Chicago without informing anybody from the team.
The Knicks would end out moving on from Rose, as the franchise drafted Frank Ntilikina in the 2017 NBA Draft, hoping to find a solution at the point guard position under Jackson’s triangle offense philosophy.
Rose has expressed that he enjoyed his time with the Knicks, and even wanted to come back again the following season. While Rose’s career has been up and down, the athletic guard has reinvigorated his career, being one of the best scorers coming off the bench. He had his memorable 55 point game during his time with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
It makes sense why New York would be interested in Rose due to the fact that Tom Thibodeau has so much experience with the elusive guard. Thibodeau coached Rose in Chicago for 5 seasons, helping him become the youngest MVP at 22, while also spending almost 2 seasons with Rose in Minnesota.
Rose is used to the system that Thibodeau runs, and would definitely be an upgrade to the current point guard play, as current starter Elfrid Payton has slowed down the offense, which has caused the fanbase to speak out on social media.
While this move may not happen, it’s good to hear that the New York Knicks are doing their due diligence to keep an eye out on what may be available.