The Knicks knew they were getting a great player when they acquired Derrick Rose from the Detroit Pistons in early February. I’m not sure anyone knew just how big his impact would be.
Here we are in late April just weeks before the playoffs with the Knicks are riding a 9-game winning streak as they sit at 4th in the Eastern Conference. On a hot streak like this, things are clicking on all cylinders. It’s certainly been true for the Knicks, who have seen just about their entire roster elevate their game late in the season.
For a team to be successful, the individual players must buy into the team mindset. That’s exactly what New York has done with their “Big 15” mantra. The growth of this team has been fun to watch for fans. There are so many individual performances we can highlight but the one I want to focus on right now is Derrick Rose because his value to the Knicks has been…astronomically important.
The Knicks are a different team with Derrick Rose
Let’s just start with the simplest, yet perhaps, the most significant stat. The Knicks are 18-7 when Derrick Rose plays. That’s a 72.0% win percentage. That would be 2nd best in the NBA.
I know, it’s not a full season sample size. I do not think the Knicks are the 2nd best team in the NBA. It’s still 25 games, which is over a 3rd of the 2021 season – It’s neither a large nor small sample size. It’s certainly an indicator of important Derrick Rose has been for this team.
I think we have to think back and ask ourselves: Why did the Knicks trade for Derrick Rose in the first place?
The team needed more juice from their backcourt. Before the trade, the Knicks were dead last in the league in points per game. Just because you’re a team who has built themselves around defensive identity doesn’t mean you can’t look to improve the offense.
Derrick Rose gave this team an experienced guard who can create offense out of thin air.
Derrick Rose goes to work again... it's a 14-3 @nyknicks run to open the 4th on ESPN! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/m9wiPa8JO4
— NBA (@NBA) April 24, 2021
Rose is and always has been a “score-first” point guard. The moniker “score-first point guard” will sometimes get confused for being synonymous with “selfish” or “doesn’t make the team better”. That couldn’t be farther from the truth with Derrick Rose.
Rose has been the x-factor for a team that desperately needed scoring from their backcourt. When the offense looks lost, it’s Derrick Rose who’s shown the ability to come up with key baskets to get the team back on track.
Rose may be 32-years-old but he still has a lot of speed. There isn’t another player on the Knicks who’s able to create penetration at the level he does. He’s provided them with an element they were sorely missing.
When Derrick Rose is on the court, this team different. The Knicks’ efficiency differential with Rose on the court is a +11.9. (from Cleaning The Glass). That’s in the 96th percentile of all NBA players who have played at least 600 minutes.
During the win streak, Derrick Rose has averaged 16.6 points per game on over 53% shooting. With Rose on the court, NY can maintain its defensive mentality while having a dynamic scoring guard to pair with RJ Barrett and Julius Randle.
The Knicks find themselves in a middle tier of NBA contenders right now. They’re below the top dogs but clearly above some of the lower-seeded teams. This team feels like they can compete with anybody, and with Derrick Rose in the lineup, they have every right to feel dangerous. Brace yourselves, playoff basketball at the Garden is coming.