New York Knicks: How they can thrive with Derrick Rose

Derrick Rose becomes the 6th man

The idea here is pretty simple, Derrick Rose can become the primary ball-handler for the 2nd unit. Rose has been coming off of the bench for the Pistons for the last two years now.

Coming off of the bench is a role Rose is comfortable with, and it makes a ton of sense for him to continue to do so with the Knicks.

One could argue that Quickley was the “Scoring punch” off of the bench and he should be kept there, but I think that having Rose take on that role is what will best optimize the Knicks’ current roster.

Rose has never been an elite passer. What the Knicks have in Derrick Rose is a score-first guard who makes good reads after he attacks the defense. His game should help open up looks for bench players like Alec Burks and Obi Toppin.

Of course, just because Rose is the 6th man doesn’t mean he won’t ever be sharing the court with the starters. We fully expect Rose to play significant minutes for the Knicks.

Referencing the Knicks’ last game against the Heat, their offense is what killed them. It lost them the game. The team shot 36% from the field and 20% from 3 in the last 5 minutes of the game.

Now, down the stretch, Thibodeau can play Rose and Quickley together in the back court. The late-game 4th quarter lineup of Rose-Quickley-Barrett-Randle-Robinson gives the Knicks a lot of offensive versatility. They have 4 players on the court who can handle the ball and be a threat to score.

Derrick Rose and the Knicks are not a match made in heaven. This isn’t a slam-dunk trade by any means.

However, if the Knicks properly utilize Rose, it will lead to some really fun basketball in the future. Letting Rose lead the second unit while letting Quickley become the starter helps the Knicks grow in multiple ways. This is that perfect balance of player development and winning basketball that we all want to see.