Knicks veteran could once again be surprise X-Factor in NBA Playoffs

Playoff basketball is back at Madison Square Garden! The New York Knicks, who were projected as a fringe play-in team, shocked the basketball world by securing the Eastern Conference’s No. 5 seed and a matchup with the upstart Cleveland Cavaliers.

While the trio of Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle, and RJ Barrett have put their club in a prime position to make noise in the postseason with a Game 1 win, Donovan Mitchell’s Cavaliers are still a tough matchup.

While Randle showed little signs of wear while posting a 19-point, 10-rebound double-double in game one, one can’t help but wonder if the ankle injury that cost him the last two-plus weeks of the regular season is 100 percent healed. Should the team’s engine be less than 100 percent, New York’s offense could struggle against a very good Cleveland defense.

Knicks could turn to Derrick Rose for bench spark during 2023 playoffs

You may remember that offensive issues are what curtailed New York’s last postseason appearance against the Atlanta Hawks in 2021. While the consistent scoring presence of Brunson gives the franchise a much stronger base, they can ill afford to run out of scoring options.

You may also remember that, when the Knicks were most in need of postseason offense in 2021, one player stepped up in a massive way: veteran Derrick Rose. In fact, the team’s PG was so important, I wrote that he was the team’s “most important weapon” in that series.

Need a reminder of his dominant play? Here are some nostalgic highlights to refresh your memory.

While the 2022-2023 campaign has seen the former MVP post career lows across the board while falling out of Tom Thidodeau’s rotation, Rose remains on the Knicks’ roster. Though he seems much older, his 34-year-old body may very well have gas left in the tank.

Just two seasons ago, Rose was able to post 19+ points per game on 47% shooting from the floor in New York’s five playoff games against Atlanta. When the defense was at its most intense, particularly at the end of games, Rose established himself as a go-to guy.

While injuries and general wear and tear have clearly diminished the former All-Star, Rose has performed well in each of his seven seasons in the NBA postseason. In fact, he has stellar career averages of 22+ points, 6+ assists, and 4+ per postseason game. For the record, these numbers have only tapered off slightly (18+ points, 5+ assists, and 4 rebounds) since his devastating ACL injury in the 2012-2013 season.

It is curious that New York elected to retain Rose despite rampant trade rumors at the deadline. Perhaps this is because of his leadership skills and locker room presence. Or maybe there was not a legitimate buyer to make a trade worth the Knicks’ efforts.

Or, could it be that the club, at least in some small part, thought it best to retain the former No. 1 overall pick as a potential weapon during important games?

If Randle is hampered at all with his injury, or if the Knicks’ offense hits a wall at any point in the series (or the postseason as a whole), don’t be surprised if Thibodeau uses Rose as a proverbial “ace up his sleeve.” Let’s not be too quick to underestimate Rose as a mere benchwarmer as the NBA’s postseason gets underway.

Knicks blow Caris LeVert’s bench depth take out of water in Game 1 win

Caris LeVert and the Cavaliers heard a lot about the Knicks' bench depth entering Game 1 of the first-round playoff series, but there was a reason for that.