National Basketball Association

New York Knicks: Anonymous Coach Praises Derrick Rose

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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New York Knicks point guard Derrick Rose has run the injury gauntlet, but an anonymous NBA assistant coach believes he has quite a bit left in the tank.

The past five years have been a proverbial hell for New York Knicks point guard Derrick Rose. Just one year after becoming the youngest MVP in NBA history, a stretch of five consecutive seasons with significant injuries began.

Though many have since written Rose off, he’s caused many to question whether or not he should be an afterthought.

Rose missed 27 games in 2011-12, was absent for all 82 games in 2012-13, and was sidelined for 72 games in 2013-14. He missed 31 games in 2014-15 and missed 16 games in a generally healthy 2015-16 campaign.

According to Ian Begley of ESPN New York, an anonymous NBA assistant coach offered their unsolicited take on the theory that Rose is done.

“The people who want to tell you he’s done have no idea what they’re talking about. He still has plenty left. If he stays healthy, New York is going to love him,” the assistant said weeks before Rose’s debut with the New York Knicks.

Though he hasn’t yet found his form as a facilitator, Rose has looked exceptional from an athletic perspective.

Rose finished the 2015-16 NBA regular season with averages of 16.4 points, 4.7 assists, and 3.4 rebounds in 31.8 minutes per game. He averaged 17.4 points, 4.6 assists, and 3.1 rebounds in 30.9 minutes on a slash line of .468/.375/.784 after the All-Star Break.

Rose struggled to find his rhythm throughout the 2015-16 season, however, with his inconsistency ultimately leading to the trade that sent him to New York.

Thus far in 2016-17, Rose has done a fair amount of damage control.

Through four games, Rose is averaging 16.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.0 steal, and 0.8 blocks in 30.8 minutes on a slash line of .446/.250/.857. Beyond the numbers, he’s moving with more explosiveness than he’s displayed in any season since 2011-12.

From a physical perspective, he’s proving his anonymous supporter right.

The question is: when will the rest of Rose’s game reflect his all-around improvement?