Knicks: A comprehensive breakdown of the first 30 games

Knicks trade for Derrick Rose

Dennis Smith Jr. and a 2021 second-round pick (Charlotte) was all it took to reunite Derrick Rose with Thibodeau and bring him back to New York for a second time in his career.  The price for Rose’s services was more than reasonable considering Smith’s lack of playing time this season and that the Knicks still own Detroit’s 2021 second-round pick, which looks promising.

In five games with the Knicks, Rose is averaging 11.2 points per game, 3.4 assists per game, while shooting 42 percent from the field and 33 percent from the three-point line. The 11-year veteran has been a spark with the second-unit but has cooled off since his debut against the Heat. Still, with Rose on the court, the Knicks rank within the top-20 in offensive efficiency and have a net rating of 5.5.

And contrary to popular belief, Rose’s presence on the team, thus far, has not affected Quickley’s playing time. In fact, Quickley has actually seen a small increase in minutes, going from 19.4 to 21.9. The duo of Rose and Quickley has given the Knicks a lethal boost of scoring off their bench that’s very difficult for opponents to stop.

Rose and Quickley’s versatile scoring in the backcourt is something that other Knicks’ guards do not have in their arsenal. The sample size is small, but Thibodeau appears committed to Rose and Quickley as the main guards for the second-unit.