Over the better part of the past decade, the New York Knicks have endured quite a few shakeups when it comes to their overall construction.
From front-office moves to player departures, the club has seen a bevy of individuals come and go through their doors, many of whom are still found employed within the association.
Frankly, coming into 2023-24, several of these former Knicks find themselves in situations that, should all go well, could result in a rather successful and noteworthy campaign.
Former Knicks who could be in line for major seasons in 2023-24
With the regular season’s tip-off right around the corner, there are three ex-Knickerbockers that fans will likely be hearing about rather often.
3. Derrick Rose
Pulled from New York’s regular rotation after just a few months during the 2022-23 campaign, veteran Derrick Rose now finds himself back in his collegiate stomping grounds out in Memphis in hopes of proving that his removal was more a result of questionable decision-making from Tom Thibodeau rather than a sign that he’s now merely a washed up commodity.
Already, through three games played with the Grizzlies this preseason, it appears as though he’s showing strong signs that it was more due to the former.
Logging 18.4 minutes on average, Rose boasts the club’s best plus-minus rating of +5.3 and is posting 6.7 points, 4.7 assists, and 1.7 rebounds while shooting 44.4 percent from the field.
a little shake, a little bake @drose delivers the cake🎂 pic.twitter.com/El8eO4KthM
— Grind City Media (@grindcitymedia) October 9, 2023
Though perhaps in a small sample size and during somewhat meaningless action, the guard has shown flashes of quickness, agility, and aggressiveness reminiscent of his 2020-21 run with the Knicks, where he finished third in the Sixth Man of the Year race.
During his upcoming regular season debut with the Grizzlies, there’s a rather strong possibility that he’ll be relied on to serve as a consistent contributor within coach Taylor Jenkins’ rotation, especially early on while star Ja Morant serves out his 25-game suspension, which, in turn, could provide him with the minutes necessary to show whether or not he still has gas left in the tank.
Seemingly coming in with a sizeable chip on his shoulder, don’t be surprised if Rose once again thrusts himself into the 6MOY conversation.