Derrick Rose has been showing flashes of his former self early in the 2018-19 NBA season. It appears as if the former overall number one pick of the 2008 NBA Draft has found himself a home in Minnesota despite the team’s current conflict involving Jimmy Butler’s adamant (and disrespectful) request to be traded.
However, in an exclusive interview with NBA Access‘ Dennis Scott, Rose revealed that he has his own set of personal goals for the new NBA season. One of which includes winning the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award this year.
Is Derrick Rose’s Goal of Sixth Man Attainable?
Throughout the first seven games of the 2018-19 NBA season, Derrick Rose has been able to average an impressive total of 14.3 points in approximately 28 minutes of playing time coming off of the bench. Which is close to his career averages of 18.9 points per game on 45% shooting from the field.
Nevertheless, things just seem different this season. Rose appears to be revitalized and no longer concerned about injuring himself while on the professional hardwood. He’s shown the ability to push the ball down court at a pace that he would like to, he’s made some interestingly sharp cuts to the basket that are reminiscent of himself during his MVP days, and Rose is shooting the ball with confidence.
But even though, Rose has been vocal about what might be an attainable goal at this moment of time, doesn’t mean that there isn’t going to be any competition.
Lou Williams Advises Derrick Rose To Avoid The Sixth Man Award Via Social Media
Lou Williams has proved himself to be one of the best off-the-bench assets for a contending team. He’s highly-favored around the league, has the ability to create his own shot, and doesn’t fold under pressure. Which has now made him a guaranteed contender for Sixth Man honors over the past couple of seasons.
This past year, Williams was able to easily scoop up Sixth Man of the Year honors after dropping a monster 50-points to help the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Golden State Warriors 125-106, in January 2018. Statistically, the combo guard averaged a total of 22.6 points per game while shooting nearly 36% from behind the arc in an average of 32.8 minutes a game last season.
Eric Gordon of the Houston Rockets was the runner-up to Williams win of the Sixth Man Award last season but won it in the 2016-17 season after hitting a total of 246 threes in his first as a member of the Rockets.
So, with Williams being the current holder of the NBA Sixth Man Award, he took to Twitter to take a jokingly jab at D. Rose for his comments quoting Bleacher Report’s Tweet with a caption reading,
“Stay out that bro.”
It’s all fun and games for now but the two will have to face off a total of four times throughout the NBA season. This first of which will be Monday, November 5th as the T-Wolves head to Los Angeles to take on the Clippers at Staples Center. This will provide us with a sample-sized taste of who could possibly hold the title of the ultimate sixth man in the NBA.
The competition might be thick for Derrick Rose but he has the opportunity to shut both Lou Williams and Eric Gordon down for Sixth Man of the Year honors if he continues to perform at a high level.
READ NEXT: Can Derrick Rose Win Sixth Man of the Year?