New York Knicks: Derrick Rose has been crucial to early success

The New York Knicks defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 112-99 in a game that wasn’t as close as the final score indicates, bringing their record to 3-1 so far. New York has mainly won games due to the continued brilliance of Julius Randle and new contributions from Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier.

However, the unsung hero for the season so far would undoubtedly be Derrick Rose.

The New York Knicks are winning thanks to Derrick Rose

After re-signing with the Knicks early in free agency, it was fair to question whether Rose could duplicate the second half of the 2021 season. After coming to New York through a trade with the Detroit Pistons, Rose went on a tear that led the Knicks all the way up to the Eastern Conference 4th seed.

It’s been just four games into the 2021-22 season, but Rose has already shown that last year was no fluke.

This season, the 3-time All-Star is averaging 14.3 points and 4.0 assists per game off the bench while shooting 48% from the field and 58% from three. His counting numbers are solid, but his impact goes way beyond the box score.

Rose recently mastered the ability to impose his will on a game without dominating the ball or mindlessly chucking up shots, struggles that he sometimes endured throughout his first stint in New York. The former league MVP has found the perfect balance of providing defensive effort, creating his own offense, and incorporating others into the flow of the game.

The New York Knicks’ top 5-man, 4-man, 3-man, and 2-man combinations this season all feature Rose. In fact, the duo of Rose and All-Star Julius Randle is currently outscoring teams by an absurd 42.5 points per 100 possessions.

His total plus-minus for the season is currently higher than any other player in the entire league, as the Knicks have outscored opponents by 59 total points with Rose on the court so far.

While he won’t maintain his 58% mark from deep throughout the entire year, it’s not unreasonable to imagine him continuing to connect at a rate higher than league average. Rose has shot over 36% from three since the start of the 2018 season and over 41% from behind the arc since the beginning of the 2020 season.

With a free-throw percentage ranging in the mid to high 80s, it seems like his newfound long-range accuracy is here to stay.

With a few young players such as RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley struggling out of the gate, Rose’s hot start has allowed the Knicks’ backcourt to remain productive by scoring in bunches and setting up head coach Tom Thibodeau’s offense.

It’s still extremely early, but it’s fair to say that Derrick Rose is already a frontrunner for the 6th Man of the Year award. If he can maintain this level of play for all 82 games, New York might actually finish higher than last year’s 4th seed.