Detroit Pistons: The makings behind Derrick Rose’s resurgent season

Derrick Rose put together a sound season for the Detroit Pistons. Here is a closer look at his success from the campaign.

The NBA’s announcement last week to restart the league with 22 teams in Orlando meant the end of the road for the lowly Detroit Pistons.

The season was one to forget for Detroit and a year many will not reminisce on. Injuries plagued the team and they garnered much criticism for their decision to trade away center Andre Drummond in a lopsided move. But what kept fans intrigued with the team was Derrick Rose.

His first year in Detroit provided him with an opportunity to take another step in his road to redemption, where he made the most of it.

In a career marred by injuries, Rose turned the corner and looked to be on track to play 60-plus games for the first time in three seasons. Until the Pistons’ season abruptly ended. Not only did he manage to avoid any long-term injuries over the season, but the guard displayed exquisite sequences not seen since his All-Star days as a Chicago Bull.

It certainly became a habit to hear announcers use the phrase “vintage Rose” during Pistons’ games. This is because Rose gradually began to play like his old self again.

His vertical speed coupled with explosiveness in the paint collapsed defenses inside and even made the most prolific on-ball defenders look foolish. He was on a path to be the Allen Iverson of the 2010s as the most high-octane scoring small guard in the NBA. Rose simply had it all as a scoring-first point guard. He had the tools to orchestrate a Hall of Fame career.

Since his ACL and meniscus injuries, Rose has lost a step to his speed and is not the same quick point guard anymore. It does not mean he can’t have the same relentless scoring mentality that he used to foster while in Chicago. Rose seemingly set out to prove just that this past season. To his credit, many of his performances surely made fans feel like they were watching the MVP-type talent from years ago.

For one, Rose seemingly looked more and more comfortable when attacking the basket. The sheer ambition to be more aggressive when in the paint resembled that of his days with the Bulls. He looked more inclined to not settle for mid-range shots but rather exploit space inside. This had always been part of his offensive repertoire — even after the two major injuries — but he had his sights on being more of an aggressor in drives to the restricted area.

As shown below, Rose recorded his most drives since the NBA began tracking the play dating back to the 2013–2014 season.

His 17.6 drives per game this season ranks eighth in the NBA behind usual mainstays like Russell Westbrook and James Harden. But there is more than just driving to the basket and attracting the presence of multiple defenders.

Some like to top off the sequence by finishing at the basket. Others prefer to opt for more of a playmaker role and dish out to shooters out on the wing or corners. Rose was more inclined on the former and wound up finishing amongst the best in all of the NBA in scoring from drives.

Overall, his 4.7 field goals made on drives ranks second in the NBA behind Luka Doncic (4.8) and Russell Westbrook (4.8), who are tied for first. The 4.7 average for Rose is higher than his 3.3 from last season while with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

What is most noteworthy is just how efficient he became in such possessions, ranking first with a 56.4 percent field goal percentage on attempts from drives among players with at least 6.0 attempts.

Rose did not constantly use his speed and agility to blow by defenders as he had done so effortlessly in years past. Instead, he became more patient when on the ball and surveyed the floor for any possible mismatches or open space to veer into.

In this particular possession, he is matched up with Alex Caruso but is immediately set on finding a driving angle to veer into the painted area. Not only is he able to successfully do so while keeping keen ball control, but he curls inside for a layup with both Caruso and Anthony Davis in the vicinity.

His ability to shield the ball away from the two coupled with the slight hesitation to his step as he navigated into the mid-post made it all possible for Rose to take on the high percentage shot. Once he got the angle needed to patrol inside, he accelerated to the basket and scored without much of a challenge from the two Los Angeles Laker defenders.

At times, Rose is capable of turning back time and reverting to his days as a revered force in the painted area. Just as he did to George Hill in the play below, Rose can simply patrol inside and leave his defender behind, which makes for an uncontested layup attempt in the end. No screen is needed in this particular play; Rose just finds the angle that he wants and speeds on by.

Keeping defenders off-balance and remaining unpredictable has always been a theme of Rose’s offensive playstyle. It’s just how he operates with the ball. He looked to further his case as a multi-dimensional scorer by being more efficient in scoring beyond the 0–3 feet range.

Rose took 25.2 percent of his overall shots within 3-10 feet, setting a new career-high. The more volume of shots translated over to a higher percentage of attempts made for the 31-year-old. He hit on 45.8 percent of his attempts from 3–10 feet, which was higher than last season’s 36.4 percent rate.

It became integral for Rose to make stark improvements from this area of the floor. In situations where the restricted area is clogged up with no clear driving lanes, he could elect to step back and hit from outside, whether from higher up in the painted area or just outside on the perimeter.

Some guards are fixated on simply driving to the rim and forcing up shots, but not Rose. He found ways to be creative when driving inside, a key reason for his career-high 49.0 percent field goal percentage. In essence, it opened up his options for how to attack the basket.

This play is one clear example of how well-composed he was when on the ball. Rose is matched up with Frank Jackson and subsequently begins to move inside the 3-point line. He opts to not use Christian Wood’s screen and drives to the left.

He initiates contact while driving deep inside to the low post. Instead of deciding to take a low percentage layup attempt, he halts his dribble, twirls around and hits a turnaround uncontested fadeaway shot off the glass from five feet out.

His profound success in the season also revolved around his isolation scoring. With injuries to Blake Griffin and Reggie Jackson, Rose was given more offensive responsibilities to handle. From drives to the rim to high efficiency from 3–10 feet out, he found ways to get to his spots and be a clinical scorer in this area of the game. Among players with at least 1.5 isolation possessions per game, Rose posts at seventh in points per possession with 1.08.

Fans sure were accustomed to seeing glimpses of the old Derrick Rose. For a player who had overcome much adversity in his career, watching him orchestrate a season where he became both an All-Star contender and a dark horse candidate for the Sixth Man of the Year Award was a sight to see.

Now in the offseason, look for many teams to show interest in acquiring Rose when free agency begins. He has just one year left on his contract. Who wouldn’t want a proven bench scorer who has adapted well to the ever-changing pace of the modern NBA?

Regardless of where Rose plays next season, look for the guard — if healthy — to continue where he left off from this season as a superb double-digit scoring talent.