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Tim BontempsESPN
Derrick Rose said that when he decided he wanted to leave the Detroit Pistons, the only choice in his mind was to reunite with former coach Tom Thibodeau and executive William Wesley at the New York Knicks.
“Of course,” said Rose after scoring 14 points in 20 minutes in his Tuesday night debut, losing 98-96 in Miami to the Heat. “Even though I couldn’t say that at the time, I just wanted to feel comfortable. Like I said, I’ve known these guys since high school, eighth grade, high school, so come here, like I said “It’s family. I’ve never really thought of anything but actually coming here and understanding that they wanted me to help the young boys they already have here grow.”
Rose, who officially took over the Knicks on Monday in exchange for point guard Dennis Smith Jr. and Charlotte’s second round in 2021, played well in his first game with the franchise since leaving as a free agent at the end of the 2015-16 season. Rose was 5-for-9 from the field, including 2-for-3 from the 3-point range, to go with three assists and two turnovers in his 8:20 pm playing time.
Those minutes came exclusively with Knicks rookie point guard Immanuel Quickley, with whom Thibodeau Rose teamed up on the field. Thibodeau said after the game that he liked the look the pair offers together and indicated that this would be New York’s second backcourt 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 often see it when you have multiple point guards on the floor, it gives you another ball handler, secondary ball handler, and you can probably involve Alec (Burks) as well,” said Thibodeau. “So it gives us three guys who can dribble, and all three are very efficient at pick and rolls. Their versatility allows them to really mix with both groups. So I think we’ll see some of that when we go. also forward. “
For Rose, this marks the third time in his career that he has played under Thibodeau, his Chicago coach from 2010 to 2015, and then again as part of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2017-18 and 2018/19 seasons. When asked what ties them together, Rose laughed and said he and his coach are a “strange couple” before discussing their shared love of the game.
“I can’t explain the synergy we have,” Rose said. “We’re a strange bunch, but for some reason we understand the game. And probably the best I can say is that we’re students of the game. We’re looking at the game. We’re trying to understand the game better and get better if not every day, every week, every month, every few months, every year. There’s always room for improvement, and it’s for the improvement of the team. Wherever I go, wherever he goes, we try always win. “
After the trade was made, there was some trepidation among Knicks fans that Rose would eat in the minutes that Quickley, the 25th pick in the November NBA draft, would play.
Quickley, who started the game on Tuesday averaging 12 points as a rookie and shooting 36.3% from a 3-point range, was impressive in his rookie season. He has shown flashes of the play of one of his idols, veteran guard Lou Williams, in terms of a solid 3-point shooter who is also adept at making mistakes and hitting floaters in the lane.
However, if Tuesday’s game was any indication, Quickley’s rotation spot is safe forward. And, for his part, Rose was effusive in praising the rookie. Since the trade, he has said several times that he is excited to play alongside Quickley.
“It shouldn’t be too difficult [playing] with him, “said Rose.” We look like each other. He gets a double shift in his rookie year. Not that many rookies get that kind of attention. If he sees that kind of early, it will only make his game better. The game will slow down more. And he listens. That’s the best thing about him: he listens. That means you always have room for improvement.
‘He’s a dog. He’s a dog. I can not explain. You have to be a player to understand. [If] we have a fight, I know he fights. “
In the end, however, Rose’s debut was marred by a late comeback by the Heat, who swept this home-and-home series with the Knicks by doing the same trick – escaping with a win thanks to better execution along the stretch – both in New York on Sunday 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 to go, the Knicks got a close look at how the score was tied when sophomore guard RJ Barrett hit the ball caught to the top of the key with Butler defending it and attacked the edge with his dominant left hand.
But Barrett’s retrieval attempt rolled off the front edge and the Knicks fell for the seventh time in 10 games after a promising start to the season. They are level with the Heat in ninth place in the East and only one game ahead of the Orlando Magic in 13th place.
“I looked really good,” said Barrett, who had 13 points and six rebounds but shot only 5-for-14. “Layup goes to my strong hand … has to finish it.”