New York Knicks: How they can thrive with Derrick Rose
By Adam Kester
Knicks: Derrick Rose will take Elfrid Payton’s minutes
When it comes to the rest of the Knicks’ roster, we don’t yet know the ripple effects of the Rose trade. I think it’s safe to assume that something will happen to one of their veteran guards, most likely Elfrid Payton and/or Austin Rivers.
Payton has been the Knicks’ starting point guard for the entire season, but he and Rose’s games are simply too similar for them both to get significant minutes. If Payton and Rose fell into any other category of player, maybe that wouldn’t be true, but in 2021, an NBA team simply can’t play two guards who cannot shoot 30+ minutes per game.
Both Payton and Rose specialize in attacking the rim, though Rose has always been more effective as a scorer.
Regardless of Rose’s connection to Thibodeau and how much it played a factor in the trade, it’s been very obvious that the Knicks need more offense from their guards. The offense needs more scoring threats, and Rose is certainly that. Payton will have the occasional scoring night, but rarely is it efficient.
The problem is, I’m not sure simply taking Elfrid Payton’s spot on the team is enough to make this work. Rolling out a lineup of Rose-Barrett-Bullock-Randle-Robinson is still a poor shooting team.
So how do the Knicks, currently dead last in the NBA in points-per-game, best Utilize Rose’s game on offense?