Detroit Pistons: Complete grades for the 2019 NBA offseason
By Phil Watson
Signing Derrick Rose
The Detroit Pistons needed backcourt help after losing Ish Smith and Wayne Ellington in free agency and found it by signing former NBA MVP Derrick Rose, who revived his career last season with the Minnesota Timberwolves before ankle and elbow injuries slowed him down in the second half of the year.
Rose played in 51 games, starting 13, for Minnesota last season and averaged 18.0 points, 4.3 assists and 2.7 rebounds in 27.3 minutes per game, shooting 48.2 percent overall and a career-high 37.0 percent on 2.9 3-point tries a game.
One of three former MVPs — Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook were the others — to change teams this summer, Rose is not the player he was when he was named the youngest MVP in NBA history in 2010-11.
Detroit got Rose on a two-year, $15 million deal, so there’s good value there.
Knee injuries derailed his career and he’s not missed fewer than 16 games in a season since he was hurt in the 2012 NBA Playoffs.
As it projects, the Pistons could be counting on Rose to play starter’s minutes at the 2 in a timeshare with holdover Langston Galloway and newcomer Tony Snell.
That could be risky, considering that Rose — who will turn 31 in early October — is likely to miss time at some point.
He’s changed his game up, but can still show flashes of vintage Rose.
If the Pistons were bringing him in to play a combo backup role at the 1 and 2 spots, the signing would make more sense. If they’re hoping to turn back the clock to the pre-injury Rose and get 30-plus minutes a game from him, that could turn out to be fool’s gold.