New York Knicks: The Derrick Rose trade should challenge Tom Thibodeau
By Chip Murphy
In the least surprising move of the NBA season so far, the New York Knicks acquired Derrick Rose via trade from the Detroit Pistons for Dennis Smith Jr. and a second-round pick. In a development even less surprising, Knicks Twitter exploded into a ball of Julius Randle with the news. Thibodeau’s long-time muse had a brief tenure as the Knicks’ point guard during one of the worst eras in recent franchise history.
Making the trade makes some sense. It’s a steal that Leon Rose got anything for Smith Jr., and they probably weren’t going to use that Charlotte second-rounder anyway. Austin Rivers is now likely out of the rotation, and Elfrid Payton could be on his way out of town. Those are two steps in the right direction. Most Knicks fans had enough of Rose when he famously went AWOL in January 2016.
But not Thibodeau. He’s been a head coach for nine seasons, and eight of them have been spent with Rose and current Knick Taj Gibson. Jimmy Butler joked after his Miami Heat beat New York on Sunday, “Thibs is getting the band back together.”
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The New York Knicks have acquired point guard Derrick Rose. The arrival of another one of Tom Thibodeau’s guys means a challenge for the coach.
Overall, Thibs has done a great job so far. The coach has already made significant improvements. The team is winning on the strength of their defense and competing every night. Nobody comes into Madison Square Garden and treats the Knicks like a joke anymore: LeBron’s Cavs flipping water bottles in 2016. These are all things you haven’t been able to say about the Knicks in a long time. That’s a testament to their coach.
But there’s a portion of fans and analysts who think that Thibodeau is infallible. That’s just not true. The most significant criticism of Thibodeau remains in front of us. His strong opposition to altering the rotation is a knock on him that’s been there since he coached the Chicago Bulls.
The addition of Rose only amplifies that concern. At first glance, the deal represents everything Knicks fans were afraid of with Thibodeau’s hiring. He brings in one of his guys to take minutes and shots away from Immanuel Quickley! That fear is legitimate. Here’s the thing, though, this trade can work.