SPANISH HARLEM – On Tuesday, us Knicks fans got our first (second?) look at Derrick Rose in a New York Knicks uniform. 
He was acquired some time on Sunday but the news of it made little fan fare, as Tom Brady was accomplishing his 7th Super Bowl victory. This will be Rose’s second tour with the Knickerbockers. His first stint went terribly wrong, in so many ways, after Phil Jackson tired to add a quick-fix to a team that should’ve been rebuilding. The new front office is hoping for better results with Tom Thibodeau.
It wasn’t long ago that when you thought of Thibs, you also thought of Rose, as he became a force to be reckoned with in Chicago. He had his best years under Coach TT and has followed him to each of his coaching spots. This will be the third time they have reconnected, after stints with the Bulls and Timberwolves. My guess is the organization believes Thibs will be able to the get the best out of Rose. With that, they added another veteran to help their young guards.
At first glance you could possibly be confused on the trade because the Knicks didn’t need another point guard. I do believe, however, it is an improvement over Elfrid Payton, who at this time, gets the most minutes at the point position. It wasn’t what anyone would consider a major trade but it could be one that helps this team’s playoff hunt, as Angry Ward predicted yesterday. They are 9th in the standings at this point and if the regular season ended today, the Knicks would have a play-in game for the final two spots.
Ideally, you would want D-Rose in the starting lineup but I expect Thibodeau to bring him along slowly. Eventually he’ll make him a starter, after more reps with the team. Some believe he will take minutes from Immanuel Quickley – but I’m not worried. They are different players and will compliment each other, which we saw in Tuesday’s loss to the Heat. Both provided energy and scoring off the bench to build an early lead, showing everyone what they could do together.
The one thing to look at with Rose is his injury history. There is no question that he has the ability to score and provide offense. But… Can he stay healthy? He is still a very good player and is the team’s best point guard, so you want him out there as much as possible to win.
It will be interesting to see how this plays out and how Thibs keeps Rose from breaking down… because I believe they are better with him than they are without him.
That’s it for now. Comment below – it doesn’t have to be about the Knicks – and come back tomorrow for Cam James, who is still haunted by the stolen election Super Bowl.
Until Next Time…
