Needing a point guard, the New York Knicks made a splashy trade by acquiring Derrick Rose from the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday. Rose had a solid year last season but after multiple injury-plagued seasons, the skill and athleticism he showed when he won the MVP in 2011 seems to be a thing of the past.
He is, however, still an upgrade at point guard for the Knicks and team president Phil Jackson is thrilled with the acquisition of Rose. Jackson believes Rose will help the Knicks overall but also specifically will greatly benefit Carmelo Anthony .
From Newsday’s Al Iannazzone:
“Melo and I have talked about that, whether we’re on the right time frame with him, is he disappointed or whatever,” Jackson said Thursday evening. “I think this is a positive move. He sees that as a positive move. I think that’s reinvigorating for him. I think it’s good.”
Basketball-wise, Anthony may not need to be reinvigorated as Jackson put it, since he is coming off one of his better all-around years and averaged a career-high 4.2 assists. Rose also tends to need the ball in his hands to be successful, which may not be the best fit for Anthony.
However from a team standpoint, the addition of Rose does show to Anthony that the Knicks aren’t going to go through any sort of rebuilding, a path the Knicks could have taken after rookie sensation Kristaps Porzingis showed promise last season.
If Rose can help the Knicks become an elite team in the East again remains to be seen but the trade is the type of move Anthony has advocated for in the past and shows that New York is listening to their superstar.
Courtesy: CBS Sports
