Minnesota Timberwolves: 3 reasons keeping Derrick Rose is a good move
By Luke Askew
2. Flat out skill
Nothing quite gets me frustrated like NBA fans assuming Derrick Rose is washed up because of his injury history. No, he isn’t the same player he was when he won the MVP, but he’s still only 29 years old. When he’s been on the court, he’s proven how productive he can be.
Rose’s days as a starting point guard are basically over, but “starting NBA point guard” can’t be the benchmark for success in the league. There are only 30 of those guys in the entire world. If Rose can give the Wolves a meaningful 15-20 minutes per game in maybe 60 or so games, that would be excellent for Minnesota, especially on such a minuscule contract.
The bottom line for Derrick Rose and Minnesota is that he’s still a very good basketball player. He’s an awesome rebounder for a guard and he has a unique ability to push the ball off defensive rebounds.
If you don’t think Derrick Rose still provides value to an NBA team, I would strongly urge you to reconsider your criteria for value. It’s time to stop comparing Rose to his MVP days and start comparing him to other backup point guards in the league, where he ranks extremely high in my opinion.