Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau is very happy to once again have Derrick Rose on his team. Via the NY Post:
The Knicks got “one of the elite players in this league’’ for Dennis Smith Jr. That’s at least the take of Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau, who has a blind spot for Derrick Rose.
Thibodeau said Rose will “initially’’ come off the bench and is happy to hear his favorite player tell him the great shape he is in.
Using the word “initially’’ could mean Elfrid Payton, the Knicks’ starting point guard, should be on alert if his play does not stay up to standards.
Thibodeau has raved about Payton’s defense, but now he’s got one of his favorite players of all time on his side in Rose. Thibodeau has coached Rose in Chicago, Minnesota and now New York…
A Pistons source said Rose’s production dropped off after 25 or so minutes and they kept him on an unofficial minutes restriction. But Thibodeau has always had a soft spot, despite the knee surgeries, for Rose, who won the league’s MVP award in Chicago 10 years ago when he was 22 and Thibodeau was his head coach.
Last season for the Pistons, Rose mostly came off the bench but put up starter numbers: 18.1 points and 5.6 assists in 26.0 minutes per game, shooting an impressive 49% FG.
This season for the Pistons, Rose came off the bench for all 15 games played, but was a less productive, putting up 14.2 points and 5.2 assists in 22.8 minutes per outing, shooting 43% FG.
