NY Knicks: Derrick Rose tapping “Chicago days” ahead of NBA Playoffs
By Adam Kester
How Derrick Rose has elevated the NY Knicks
New York was looking for more offense from their backcourt when they traded for Rose. Their guard rotation of Elfrid Payton, Immanuel Quickley, and Frank Ntilikina simply wasn’t enough.
Of course, Rose’s relationship with Tom Thibodeau also played a big factor in New York going out to get the veteran guard. Still, I don’t think anyone could have seen the fit being this seamless.
Rose showed what he can do right away in his first game when the Knicks played Miami in February. He seemed like a great fit coming off of the bench with Immanuel Quickley, forming a dynamic backcourt scoring duo.
Rose continued to play well but was forced to miss around 3 weeks of action due to COVID. It wasn’t until a few games after he returned that he unlocked an even higher level of play.
Rose began to be such a vital key to success that the team was forced to give him an even larger role.
The NY Knicks were able to elevate their game when Tom Thibodeau made the adjustment to feature Rose in the lineup down the stretch. His increased role has coincided with New York hitting a higher level.
Rose has been turning it up a notch late in the season. In his last 8 games, he’s averaged 18.6 points per game on 56.6% from the field, 50% from 3, and 100% from the free-throw line. It’s been one of the most efficient scoring runs of Rose’s NBA career.
Very rarely will you find an athlete who has had both the quantity and severity of injuries that Rose has had, be able to play at a high-level years later.
Derrick Rose still has blow-by ability and powerful downhill speed, he is just more cautious in how he jumps, lands, and prepares for games. He’s reinvented himself while sticking true to his game. There aren’t many 32-year-old guards who can move the way Rose does.
So while his numbers have been tremendous, this has been about more than just his buckets. He’s not just any scoring guard, he’s one of the most legendary scorers of the 21st century. His teammates have been learning from him.