NBA: 30 most unguardable moves in league history

30 most unguardable moves in NBA history: 27. Derrick Rose, floater

At one time, I’d say Derrick Rose’s hop-step might be his greatest signature move, but times have changed for the former MVP. The pace and workload he performed at during his league-leading years early into his career were unsustainable and in many regards, D Rose’s body denied him the chance to compete for more hardware. Regardless, Rose didn’t allow injuries to write his story.

From the time that he entered the league to his veteran days today, Rose’s signature floater never disappoints. While it oftentimes looks like an erratic shot, Rose has mastered the timing and angle at which he needs to release the ball to drop it into the basket. It’s a perfect teardrop shot that’s reminiscent of a big man’s floater. No matter the matchup, distance from the basket or contact, Rose finds himself gently pushing the teardrop shot into the air and watching it soar through the net.

In his prime, defenders were oftentimes more concerned with an explosive finish than they were with a simple floater. They’d back up to defend the paint and on many occasions, they gave him way too much space to get the shot off. Even if they manage to read the play and play up on defense, there’s still no guarantee Rose’s floater wouldn’t drop in.

Rose’s floater also comes at a greater degree of difficulty considering the high-energy nature of his game. Regardless of his age, Rose’s quickness has always been one of his greatest assets and in his pre-injury days in Chicago, he’d burst to the paint with unmatched energy and force defenses to shift. By taking a floater, Rose oftentimes avoided the paint protection supplied by centers and power forwards.

It doesn’t matter where he is — Chicago, New York, Cleveland, Minnesota or Detroit — Rose’s floater is money in the bank when he’s locked in.