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Tim BontempsESPN
Derrick Rose said that when he decided he wanted to leave the Detroit Pistons, the only option he had in mind was to meet with former coach Tom Thibodeau and executive William Wesley with the New York Knicks.
“Of course,” Rose said after scoring 14 points in 20 minutes in her debut Tuesday night, with a 98-96 loss to Miami against the Heat. “Even though I couldn’t say it at the time, I just wanted to be comfortable. Like I said, I knew these guys from high school, eighth grade and high school, so coming here, like I said, is from the family. I never thought about anything else, but when I really came in and understood that they wanted me to help grow the young guys they already have here. “
Rose, whom the Knicks officially acquired Monday in exchange for coach Dennis Smith Jr. and Charlotte’s 2021 second-round pick, played well in his first game with the franchise since leaving as a free agent at the end of the 2015-16 season. Rose came out 5 for 9 from the field, including 2 for 3 from 3 points away, to go with three assists and two losses in her 20:20 court time.
Those minutes came exclusively with new Knicks goalie Immanuel Quickley, with whom Thibodeau teamed up with Rose on the court. Thibodeau said after the game that he liked the look the two offer and indicated that the future of New York’s second unit would be to move forward. He added that the player Rose replaced in the rotation, Austin Rivers, would now be a “situational” player.
“I think you see it often when you have several props on the ground, it provides you with another ball controller, a secondary ball controller, and you can probably include Alec [Burks] there too, “said Thibodeau.” So it gives us three guys who can get out of the watering hole and all three are very efficient in selection and filming. Their versatility allows them to blend in with the two groups. So I think we’ll see a little bit of that as we move forward. “
For Rose, this is the third time in her career that she has played with Thibodeau, her coach in Chicago from 2010 to 2015, and again as part of the Minnesota Timberwolves for the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons. When asked what makes them connect, Rose laughed and said he and his coach were a “weird couple” before talking about their shared love for the game.
“The synergy we have, I can’t explain,” Rose said. “We’re a weird couple, but for some reason we understand the game. And the closest I can probably say is that we’re students of the game. We look at the game. We try to understand the game more and try to improve if not every day, every week. , every month, every couple of months, every year. There is always room for improvement and it is for the betterment of the team. Wherever you go, wherever you go, we always try to win. “
After the trade, there was some concern among Knicks fans that Rose would eat in the minutes that Quickley, the 25th pick in the November NBA Draft, would start playing.
Quickley, who entered Tuesday’s game averaging 12 points as a rookie and shot 36.3 percent from 3 points, has been impressive in his rookie season. He has shown flashes from the game of one of his idols, veteran guard Lou Williams, in terms of being a solid 3-point shooter who is also an expert at taking fouls and hitting floats in the lane.
If Tuesday’s game was an indication, however, Quickley’s turning point is sure to move forward. And, for her part, Rose was effusive in her praise of the rookie. From the trade, he has said on several occasions that he is excited to play alongside Quickley.
“It shouldn’t be too hard [playing] with him, “Rose said.” We are similar. He is making double team in his debut year. There aren’t too many newbies getting that kind of attention. For him to see that kind of time will improve his game. The game will slow down more. And listen. It’s the biggest of it, listen. With that, you always have room for improvement.
“It’s a dog. It’s a dog. I can’t explain it. You have to be a player to understand it. [If] we are in a fight, I know he is fighting. “
Ultimately, however, Rose’s debut was affected by a late comeback from the Heat, who swept this series home and home with the Knicks pulling the same trick, escaping with a win thanks to better execution on the stretch, both Sunday in New York and Tuesday night in Orlando.
After Jimmy Butler, who led Miami with 26 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists, missed one of two free throws with 6.2 seconds left, the Knicks had a good look at the tie, with second-year guard RJ Barrett grabbing the ball at the top of the key with Butler defending him and being able to attack the edge with his dominant left hand.
But Barrett’s pitching attempt came out of the front of the edge and fell, as the Knicks fell for the seventh time in 10 games after a promising start to the season. They are tied with the Heat in ninth place in the East and are just a game away from Orlando Magic in 13th.
“I looked really good,” said Barrett, who had 13 points and six rebounds but shot just 5 to 14 from the field. “The disposition goes in my strong hand … I have to finish.”