Wondering how the Derrick Rose trade will impact the Knicks? The answer to that question started to present itself on Tuesday.
WILL HE TAKE AWAY IMMANUEL QUICKLEY’S MINUTES?
It doesn’t look like it. Rose and Quickley entered the game together late in the first quarter and shared the backcourt for the rest of the first half. The two guards led a second unit that moved the ball well and helped the Knicks bounce back from a sluggish start.
Rose made an immediate impact, hitting his first two 3-point attempts and handing out three assists in 10 minutes on the floor.
New York outscored Miami by 11 when Rose and Quickley shared the court in the first half.
Quickley had three assists in that span and knocked down one of his three 3-point attempts.
It’s silly to judge how Rose will impact Quickley’s game after just one night. But Quickley has been at his best with the ball in his hands. Rose also thrives with the ball in his hands. So it’s logical to think that there will be a period of adjustment for both players.
In general, Rose seems to embrace his role as a mentor to Quickley and the other young Knicks. He went out to dinner with Quickley and Knick rookie Obi Toppin on Monday night; he gave the rookies his cell phone number.
After playing with Quickley for the first time, Rose said he sees some of himself in the first-year guard.
“We’re similar. He’s getting double-teamed in his rookie year. There [aren’t] too many rookies getting that type of attention,” he said. “For him to see that kind of early, it’s just going to make his game better. The game is going to slow down more. And he listens. That’s the greatest thing about him, he listens. With that, you always got room for improvement.
Rose had one more point he wanted to make about Quickley.
“He’s a dog. He’s a dog. I can’t explain it. You’ve got to be a player to understand it. We’re in a fight, I know he’s fighting,” he said.
If Rose can help the Knicks win games and aid in Quickley’s development, the trade will be a success. Rose helping with the former is imperative. New York has lost two straight and is in ninth place in the Eastern Conference.
WITH ROSE HERE, WHO IS OUT OF THE ROTATION?
On Tuesday, Austin Rivers was a DNP. Rivers had been a rotation player for the Knicks before Rose arrived.
“Austin has been around. He’s a veteran. He’ll stay ready. He’ll be situational,” Thibodeau said. “Usually things work out. When he’s called upon I know he’ll be ready to go.”
Based on Thibodeau’s most recent rotations, it seems like Rivers would be the first player back in if there is an injury. That means Kevin Knox and Frank Ntilikina may have been pushed further out of Thibodeau’s rotation.
WILL ROSE EVENTUALLY START?
Thibodeau said he could see Rose, Quickley and Alec Burks playing with starters and the bench unit.
“When you have multiple point guards out on the floor, it gives you another ball-handler, secondary ball-handler, and you can probably include Alec in there as well. So it gives us three guys that can go off the dribble and all three are very efficient in pick and rolls,” Thibodeau said. “Their versatility allows them to actually blend with both groups. So I think we’ll see some of that as we go forward as well.”
Will Rose eventually replace Elfrid Payton in the starting lineup? That’s unclear. But it’s worth noting that Payton made several key plays for the Knicks on Tuesday and helped them stay in the game early on amid a slow start.
He finished with 18 points, five rebounds, four assists and three turnovers. But New York was outscored by nine during his 26 minutes on the court. Julius Randle’s off night (12 points, 4-18 shooting) didn’t help Payton’s plus-minus against Miami.
