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Tim BontempsESPN
Derrick Rose said that when he decided he wanted to leave the Detroit Pistons, the only choice on his mind was to reunite with former coach Tom Thibodeau and CEO William Wesley with the New York Knicks.
“Of course,” Rose said after scoring 14 points in 20 minutes in his debut Tuesday night, a 98-96 loss to Miami against the Heat. “Even though I could not say it at the time, I just wanted to be comfortable. Like I said, I have known these guys since high school, eighth grade, high school, so came here, like I said, it’s family. I never really thought of something else, but really came here and understood that they want me to grow the young guys they’ve already got here. ‘
Rose, who officially acquired the Knicks on Monday in exchange for point guard Dennis Smith Jr. and Charlotte’s pick in the second round of 2021, has played well in his first game with the franchise since leaving as a free agent at the end of the 2015-16 season. Rose did 5-for-9 off the field, including 2-for-3, from 3-point series, with three assists and two innings in his 20:20 court time.
These minutes came exclusively with Knicks’ rookie point guard Immanuel Quickley, with whom Thibodeau Rose teamed up on the track. Thibodeau said after the game that he liked the look the couple had together, and indicated that it would be New York’s second back in the future. He added that the player who replaced Rose in the rotation, Austin Rivers, would now be a ‘situational’ player.
“I think you see it often when you have multiple point guards on the floor, it gives you a different ball handler, secondary ball handler, and you could probably include Alec (Burks) there as well,” Thibodeau said. “So it gives us three guys who can go off the dribble, and all three are very efficient in the choice. Their versatility allows them to merge with both groups. So I think we’ll see some of that if we go forward too. ‘
For Rose, this is the third time in his career that he will play from 2010 to 2015 under Thibodeau, his coach in Chicago, and then again as part of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons. When asked what keeps them engaged, Rose laughs and says he and his coach are a ‘strange couple’ before talking about their shared love of the game.
“I can not explain the synergy we have,” Rose said. “We’re a strange couple, but for some reason we understand the game. And the best thing I can probably say is that we’re students of the game. We’re watching the game. We’re trying understand the game more and try to get better than not every day, every week, every month, every few months, every year.There is always room for improvement, and that is for the improvement of the team.Wherever I no matter where he goes, wherever he goes, we always try to win. “
After the trade was done, there was some panic among Knicks fans that Rose would eat in the minutes that Quickley, the 25th pick in November’s NBA draft, would play.
Quickley, who entered the 12-point game as a rookie on Tuesday and shot down 36.3% of the three-point series, was impressive in his rookie season. He showed flashes of the game of one of his idols, veteran guard Lou Williams, in terms of being a solid three-point shooter who is also adept at making mistakes and hitting drivers in the lane.
However, if Tuesday’s game is an indication, Quickley’s rotation spot is safe to move forward. And in turn, Rose was exuberant in his praise for the rookie. Since the trade, he has said on several occasions that he is excited to play with Quickley.
‘It should not be too difficult [playing] with him, “Rose said. We are similar. He becomes a double team in his rookie year. There are not too many rookies that attract that kind of attention. For him to see the kind early on, it will only make his game better. The game is going to slow down more. And he listens. That’s the biggest thing about him: he listens. With that, you always have room for improvement.
“He’s a dog. He’s a dog. I can not explain it. You have to be a player to understand it. [If] we’re in a fight, I know he’s fighting. ‘
Eventually, however, Rose’s debut was marred by a late return by the Heat, who swept this home-and-home series with the Knicks by pulling the same trick – escaping with a victory thanks to a better performance on the piece – both Sunday in New York and Tuesday night in Orlando.
After Jimmy Butler, who led Miami with 26 points, 8 rebounds and 10 assists, missed 1 of 2 free throws with 6.2 seconds left, the Knicks looked at the score well as second-year guard RJ Barrett catches the ball to the top of the key with Butler defending him and attacking the edge with his dominant left hand.
But Barrett’s knockout effort rolls off the front of the rim, and the Knicks fall for the seventh time in ten games after a promising start to the season. They are tied with the Heat in ninth place in the East and are just one game ahead of the Orlando Magic in 13th place.
“I looked really good,” said Barrett, who had 13 points and six rebounds but only shot 5-for-14 from the field. “Lay-up goes to my strong hand … must finish it.”