The Phoenix Suns today signed unrestricted free-agent guard/forward Jalen Rose to a one-year contract. Per club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Entering his 13th NBA season, Rose will bring his scoring touch to his sixth NBA team (Denver, Indiana, Chicago, Toronto, New York) and the crafty veteran owns career averages of 14.7 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 31.0 minutes in 894 games (572 starts).
“He’s a veteran guy who will add a lot to our team. He’s a very versatile and talented basketball player,” said Suns Head Coach and Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations/General Manager Mike D’Antoni.
The 6-8, 215-pound swingman has averaged double figures in scoring in nine of his 12 NBA seasons, including the last eight. Rose, the 1999-2000 NBA Most Improved Player with the Pacers, recorded three-straight 20-plus scoring seasons from 2000-03, including a career-high 22.1 scoring average (14th in NBA) with the Bulls in 2002-03. The 33-year-old has more career points scored (13,112) than any current player on the Suns roster and is 22nd among all active NBA players.
The southpaw shooter has been a steady performer in the postseason, averaging 14.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 58 playoff games. In the 2000 NBA Playoffs, Rose averaged 20.8 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 23 postseason games as the Pacers advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history.
Rose, who was waived by the Knicks on Oct. 30, 2006, averaged 12.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 72 games last season with Toronto and New York. The Knicks acquired Rose, a first-round draft pick and cash considerations from the Raptors in exchange for forward/center Antonio Davis on Feb. 3, 2006.
Originally selected 13th overall in the 1994 NBA Draft by the Denver Nuggets, Rose averaged 17.5 points in three seasons at Michigan as a member of the Wolverines’ fabled “Fab Five” and helped lead Michigan to the NCAA title game in 1992 and 1993. In his first NBA season he was a member of the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in 1994-95 and scored 12 points in the Rookie Game at All-Star Weekend in Phoenix.
Good pick by the Suns, he can add experience when we get to the play-offs and he can be deadly from behind the arc.
He will get a lot of open looks playing with Nash and will prove to be good 7-8 man of the bench stealing minutes to an almost useless James Jones.
This was a horrible signing for us, I don't like it at all. What do we need a guy like Jalen for, all he's going to do is take minutes away from other deserving players at his position - like me. I am not impressed, not impressed at all.
as a laker fan i applaud this move, the suns have added another shooter to a team lousy with shooters already... less defense more offense!!! you can only shoot the ball so many times a game... the suns are quickly headed down the same path the mavs and knicks followed, sign offense and hope they can learn some d along the way...
Rose is a versatile offensive player, which obviously adds another good weapon to the Suns, but I don't know if there's a whole lot of minutes for him.
Realistically, the Suns should use Rose for most of the minutes that Diaw doesn't play. Rose has similar size and offensive capabilities.
the suns are quickly headed down the same path the mavs and knicks followed, sign offense and hope they can learn some d along the way...
too bad we got jalen for high reward/low risk and its not like we went out in the offseason looking for offense...we signed banks who has the potential to help defense out some
and we also traded richardson for a good defensive center and signed raja bell last year
Last edited by statman32 : 11-08-2006 at 12:06 PM.
i still dont see how this helps the suns. He doesnt shoot threes and i would think that is expect from players on the suns considering that is what they mostly do. All jalen rose has done is play on a billion teams. The only real playoff experience he has is with the pacers. He has gotten on trash teams like bulls raptors and knicks so maybe he deserves a good team again. I thought the suns were trying to save money but i dono with all these new signings.
going to phx helps him get more open threes which should improve his percentage...and he will help us being a guy that can pass and take his guy one on one....im not saying this signing is a great signing that puts the suns over the top but it helps a little
You have this obession with "he doesn't shoot threes" business. When infact he can. He shot around 35% last year with the Knicks and in this system will be able to knock them down. However thats not what he will be used for...Rose can play at least 3 positions and is another ball handler. Which is key when nash is out and if banks is struggling....he is also a good passer. He will bring many things to the suns and adds another vet on the bench who can produce...
signing a guy for the vet min is hardly something to worry about with adding money
i still dont see how this helps the suns. He doesnt shoot threes and i would think that is expect from players on the suns considering that is what they mostly do.
How good Rose is at shooting threes doesn't matter that much. Rose gives the Suns another Diaw-type option in the high post with his particular set of offensive skills. I'd use him as a guy who can come in and play similarly to Diaw when Diaw is out.
How do i have an obssesion with that? Ur a damn idiot. I have posted something twice about jalen rose so how does that make it an obssession?
All i said was is that he doesnt make many threes so i dont see how that is helpful.
You've mentioned the 3 point thing twice, when in all reality, the Suns don't need another 3 point shooter. They have plenty. What they do need is another player who can create shots for himself, and others, something that Jalen is capable of doing. I envision him playing a Diaw type role myself as well. Just because he isn't a great 3 point shooter doesn't mean he is a worthless pickup. Nash, Barbosa, Bell, Jones, Marion (even though he's become obessed with the 3 this year) can shoot plenty of 3's. Not EVERY player the Suns pick up needs to be a 3 point shooter. I don't understand why you keep pointing out that he's not a great 3 point shooter, and that he serves no purpose on this team. Hell, he might even improve on threes here given the amount of open looks he will get (see Joe Johnson).
How do i have an obssesion with that? Ur a damn idiot. I have posted something twice about jalen rose so how does that make it an obssession?
All i said was is that he doesnt make many threes so i dont see how that is helpful.
You have mentioned It everytime Rose's name has come up you "idiot"
You can't get It into your thick head that his role isn't going to be just shoot threes...he brings alot more to the table than that. He like others have mentioned may well be playing a Boris Diaw type role who can play several positions and handle the ball.