National Basketball Association

New York Knicks: If Derrick Rose Won't Facilitate, Who Will?

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 2:04 p.m. ET

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If Derrick Rose won’t accept the role of a facilitator, then who will step up for the New York Knicks? Moreover, can anyone step up for the Knicks?

Nov 2, 2016; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks point guard Derrick Rose (25) talks with New York Knicks head coach Jeff Hornacek during the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

We’re just four games into a brand new season with brand new players, and I have only about 15,000 questions about the New York Basketball Knicks. Is Carmelo Anthony miserable right now?

Why does Phil Jackson insist that the Knicks, who truly lack the personnel to do so, continue to run some goofy hybrid of the triangle and Jeff Hornacek’s own system? And why does Phil Jackson think that any semblance of the rarely picking-and-rolling triangle is a good strategy when the three main components of his offensive attack are lethal in pick-and-roll heavy offenses?

Will they be able to escape a brutally-scheduled November with minimal damage?

We’ll never know what goes on in the Zen Master’s increasingly criticized head, and we’ll have to wait and see how this tough month plays out.

For now, the Knicks have sputtered to a 1-3 start, ranking 26th in points per 100 possessions with 98.3 and allowing 112.1, second most in the league thus far. The NBA’s best defensive team would struggle to win games while scoring under 100 points per 100 possessions, as would the best offensive attack while allowing over 112.

It’s extremely early, but the Knicks appear to have issues on both sides of the ball that need to be addressed. Let’s focus on the offense that might have steamrolled its way to a championship six years ago, but struggles to produce in 2016.

Oct 29, 2016; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks guard Derrick Rose (25) dribbles the ball during the third quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at Madison Square Garden. New York Knicks won 111-104. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

Minimal Assists, Low Efficiency

Offensively, the Knicks have struggled with both ball and player movement, which leads to an excessive amount of iso-ball possessions, minimal assist opportunities, and low percentage shots. Just 53.5% of their made field goals have been assisted.

Now, a low percentage of assisted field goals is not inherently negative, but teams that manage to win lots of games with minimal assists typically also manage to remain relatively efficient offensively.

For perspective, the Toronto Raptors finished 30th in assist percentage, but 12th in eFG% and won 53 games in 2015-16.

The Knicks are currently 22nd in eFG%, and Derrick Rose is using 27.2% of the team’s possessions to mostly produce inefficient, relatively high-volume scoring has certainly contributed to the team’s early season offensive mishaps.

Rose’s role with the team may be enabling him to perform in this way.

D-Rose’s Role

In the 54 minutes Rose, Courtney Lee, Carmelo Anthony, Kristaps Porzingis, and Joakim Noah have played together thus far, Rose has hurt his team’s offense with his horrid efficiency and high usage. He’s used 22.6% of the unit’s possessions almost entirely through shot attempts and managed just a 38.3 TS% and a 34.8 eFG% while doing so.

Lee, Anthony, Porzingis, and Noah have combined for an efficient 58.4 TS% and 57.4 eFG%.

On the plus side, Rose has finished well when driving to the rim. He’s converted 16-of-26 attempts on 37 drives to the rim—a 61.5% rate that places him 4th in the league, right behind Damian Lillard, amongst guards who have driven to the basket as much as Rose has.

However, within this same group, Rose ranks second to, but effectively tied for, last in pass percentage on drives with just 18.9%. He’s dead last in assist percentage on drives with a inauspicious 0.0% because, well, he has not recorded a single assist on any of his 37 drives to the basket. Not only has Rose rarely looked to pass, he has actually yet to generate a single basket for a teammate on his signature slashes to the rim.

Per NBAWowy, the Knicks have assisted on 48.5% of made field goals in 123 minutes with Rose on the court. That number jumps to 64.4% in 69 minutes when he’s on the bench. The ball seems to stick with Rose on the court, but his inability, or unwillingness, to facilitate offense for others is not an insurmountable obstacle for the Knicks’ success.

Oct 29, 2016; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks guard Derrick Rose (25) dribbles the ball past Memphis Grizzlies guard Mike Conley (11) during the third quarter at Madison Square Garden. New York Knicks won 111-104. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

Who Needs A Traditional Point Guard?

In 2016, we know NBA teams can flourish with a shoot-first point guard, and as the league trends more and more towards position-less basketball each season, the “point guard” label loses meaning. The problem is not that the Knicks have a point guard who hates to pass. The problem is that the only starter able to fill the void thus far has been Joakim Noah.

The ability to run an offense through a highly-skilled passing big man stationed in the high post is a massive asset, but it cannot be the only source of assisted field goals.

Two seasons ago, Rose, Noah, and Jimmy Butler combined for nearly 13 assists each game for the 50-win Chicago Bulls, with Rose and Noah accounting for close to five dimes each. Rose led the team with a 30.7% assist percentage.

Noah chipped in with 23.0%, which was about what the Bulls expected from him in his final three productive, albeit injury-marred, seasons in Chicago.

This season, Noah’s assist percentage sits at 34.1%. This is asking far too much of him as a distributor. He’s leading the team with 5.5 assists per game, followed by Brandon Jennings with a paltry 3.5. Noah is a phenomenal passer, but can’t dribble, drive, or create scoring opportunities for others.

If Derrick Rose isn’t going to fill that role, the Knicks need another primary ball handler to help facilitate the offense and match or exceed Noah’s five-to-six assists each night.

Oct 8, 2016; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks guard Brandon Jennings (3) drives to the basket defended by Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez (11) during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports

If Not Rose, Then Who?

Everything’s coming up Jennings. That’s right, the solution to at least some of the Knicks’ offensive woes might be to give Brandon Jennings more minutes in 2017. Jennings posts 6.4 assists per 36 minutes, compared to Rose’s 2.9, and also boasts a 29.0 assist percentage compared to Rose’s 15.8%.

Starting him over Rose is probably out of the question. Instead, Hornacek could rotate Jennings in for significant minutes with Anthony and Porzingis to help create scoring chances for them. A Rose-Jennings backcourt would be a massive liability defensively, but could work with the right matchups.

Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe they are not, but it’s worth a shot.

This really isn’t meant to be a Derrick Rose hit piece. He appears healthy and spry and seems to have no issue gliding into the paint. It’s great that, despite his tendency to leave his feet, he has managed to limit his turnovers. He’s been very solid around the rim and horrendous in the midrange.

He can improve his efficiency and hopefully jumpstart the Knicks’ offense by simply shooting less low-percentage jumpers.

Derrick Rose can be a very productive player for the Knicks this season without setting up his teammates, as long as another ball-handler is able to help Noah shoulder the distributing load.