NBA intelligence is mostly positive about the Knicks’ addition of point guard Derrick Rose – especially since he can work with coach Tom Thibodeau again.
Although Rose (32) has had several knee surgeries, Thibodeau somehow always gets the best out of him. He won the MVP at the age of 22 in Chicago under the current Knicks coach.
‘He was very good in Minnesota [with Thibodeau]”Maybe not so good in Detroit,” said one NBA human resources director. “Thibodeau always gets Rose at his best.”
The Knicks will not ask Rose to play a key role – probably as a backup for Elfrid Payton and perhaps as a closer in many games.
According to a Pistons source, Rose chose to get off the bench in Detroit. The Pistons source said there is an unofficial minute restriction for Rose due to his past operations, including one that ended his season with the Knicks in 2016-17.
The Pistons believed that Rose’s production usually declined after 23 minutes; he averaged 22.8 minutes this season in Detroit.
That’s probably the maximum the Knicks have in mind, anyway. The Knicks have announced almost everything that they intend to be in a playoff game – the youth are doomed.
After 25 games, the Knicks, whose home and away games with the Heat continue in Miami on Tuesday, are 11-14 and enter eighth place in the Eastern Conference on Monday.
“It makes sense because there’s a lot of pressure on the organization – they feel they have to win,” said an NBA manager familiar with the Knicks’ thinking. “It’s not OK to just play better than last season and progress. This is not good enough. There is internal pressure that they want to win, no matter whose minutes [Rose] take. They just want to win. He still has a tremendous ability to score.
“Thibs understands Rose,” the executive added. “Rose understands Thibs.”
A personal man from the Eastern Conference likes the move.
“He will help,” he said. ‘He still comes to the ring with ease and he’s a better shooter than five years ago. The biggest plus is that Thibs trusts him in a clutch situation. He will be a positive force in close matches. ”
There’s the thinking rookie rugby player Immanuel Quickley who will lose minutes to Rose. This may be the case on some nights, though the playing time of Austin Rivers struggles seems more dangerous.
With Knicks buyers, Thibodeau could reduce Quickley’s role on some nights, despite his popularity, as long as their lottery, Obi Toppin, gets regular action off the bench.
‘They need to find a way for Obi to play – they set him up [eighth] and they will make sure he continues his tendency to play, ” the executive said. ‘Quickley is a guy in the first round. It’s starting to say something if a lottery is not playing, and they’ll figure out a way to manage it. ‘
Off the bench for Detroit, Rose averaged 14.2 points and 4.2 assists in 15 games, but has not played since Jan. 30 as the Pistons quietly tried to swap him.
“He’s still a good and productive player,” said a Western Conference scout. ‘His familiarity with Thibs makes sense to me for the Knicks. It adds another playmaker. ‘
Rose is likely to back Payton in a tight backfield that also combines Rivers and Quickley.
“The good thing about the Knicks is that everyone in the backfield can be exchanged,” said an Eastern Conference scout. “Derrick can play with Austin, can play with Immanuel, can play with Elfrid.”
More operations could be on the way before March’s deadline. Sources indicate that Payton increased its trading value and pulled interest.
While Rose’s $ 7.7 million salary was exchanged for Dennis Smith Jr. s $ 5.4 million, the Knicks have more than $ 15 million in space to smooth future trade math.
“The team developed consistency and chemistry so that it could catch fire again,” said another talent evaluator. ‘But they have [Rose] for basically nothing. And he can be a good trading asset and they need more points. ‘
The Clippers, Bucks, Heat and Nets apparently made offers for Rose. But as The Post reports, Rose wanted this second period to be with the Knicks. This is his third with Thibodeau.
“I think the move surprised a lot of teams,” said another NBA scout. ‘They expected him to trade for a title candidate. He definitely has a lot more to contribute. It is clear that the connection is the coach. ‘