Tom Thibodeau caved to peer pressure on Saturday night at MSG. As thousands of New York Knicks fans chanted Derrick Rose’s name, the 34-year-old veteran checked into the game late in the fourth quarter in what ended up being a 128-106 win over the Pelicans.
It marked the first time in nearly two months that Rose played in a game for the Knicks. He hasn’t been injured, but instead, pushed out of Thibodeau’s rotation. He didn’t score in the two minutes that he played against New Orleans, but if he would’ve, MSG might’ve crumbled down.
Rose was a player to watch ahead of the trade deadline, but the only move that New York made was sending Cam Reddish, Svi Myhailiuk, and Ryan Arcidiacono to Portland. The Knicks reportedly wanted to “do right by” Rose if they were to trade him elsewhere. Once the deadline passed, Rose was labeled as a possible buyout candidate, but there’s been no indication from Rose or the team that a buyout is going to happen. For now, the former MVP seems content staying in New York until at least the end of the season.
That doesn’t matter to the Derrick Rose fans that don’t watch the Knicks, though.
This is dope, but why is a player who averaged 16 and 5 a game over the last four years while being their best player in the 2021 playoffs being treated like he’s in a farewell year, getting feel good minutes? Derrick Rose is a hooper and should be playing. https://t.co/OxBiFmBpRx
— Ball Don't Stop (@balldontstop) February 26, 2023
There’s a reason why Derrick Rose isn’t receiving minutes with the Knicks
Believe it or not, Derrick Rose isn’t being held hostage in New York. Some teams have shown interest in him, though, with the latest being Phoenix.
After the Knicks’ win on Saturday, Rose was asked once again about the chances of him agreeing to a buyout so that he could join a contender like the Suns.
"“No. Y’all heard something? I’ve just been locked in, doing my recovery. [I] talk to Thibs about the team, talk to Leon about the team, but other than that, I haven’t talked to them about [a buyout],” Rose said. “I think that we’ve been so transparent in the past that if I was thinking about moving, or they was to move me somewhere, they’d give me a heads up.”"
Once the trade deadline had passed, Rose said that he hadn’t considered a buyout. He reaffirmed that he enjoys being a mentor to New York’s young roster and he even joked around by saying that if he were upset with his current role, he wouldn’t be able to hide it.
So, for all of the Derrick Rose fans that think that he’s being treated unfairly by the Knicks, think again.
Why are ppl in this thread mad that the Knicks don’t play Derrick Rose? I love Rose just as much as the next guy but from a basketball standpoint it makes perfect sense why he’s out of the rotation. It was time to give IQ a larger role and quite frankly it’s paid off 🤷♂️ https://t.co/CiSBlvFB38
— Dylan Backer (@DylanBacker_) February 27, 2023
Who would Rose take minutes from if he were in the rotation? A player like Immanuel Quickley, who is a candidate to win the Sixth Man of the Year award? He’s averaging a career-high 12.7 points off the bench and impacts the game on both ends of the court. Let’s face it — Rose has had flashes where he looks like the player that he once was, but those days are long gone.
Along with that, Thibodeau’s shortened rotation is something that has benefitted the Knicks. It isn’t as if the team is struggling right now. Instead, it’s the exact opposite. New York is tied for the fifth seed in the East. The Knicks could end up finishing in the top six in the conference and not have to worry about making it through the play-in tournament. This has all been done without Rose playing, although the team has made it clear that they value what he brings off the court.
Based on where New York is at right now in the season, putting Derrick Rose back in the rotation isn’t something that’s going to happen. It doesn’t need to happen. And guess what? He hasn’t given any indication that it’s something that upsets him. Let’s move on.
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