Stephon Marbury Reveals Why Derrick Rose Plays Well Without Athleticism

Getty Derrick Rose, Pistons

Derrick Rose has played efficient basketball this season. The youngest MVP in NBA history and former three-time NBA All-Star is averaging 18.1 points, 2.4 rebounds and 5.6 assists in 50 games for Detroit this season.

Not only is he putting up solid numbers but the former number one overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft by way of Memphis is also shooting 49.0 percent from the floor, 30.6 percent from beyond the arc and 87.1 percent from the free-throw line.

Appearing on Monday’s episode of the Scoop B Radio Podcast, NBA legend and former two-time All Star, Stephon Marbury spoke reverently about Rose.

Check out a snippet from our dialogue below:

Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: That’s real. Scoop B Radio on the line with three time CBA Champion, CBA Finals MVP, CBA Foreign MVP Stephon Marbury talking all things basketball, global and more…taking a look at the NBA, Derrick Rose has had a resurgence for the last couple of years. Have you got a chance to look at his game, particularly this year in Detroit and what do you make of it?

Stephon Marbury: I mean, he looks like himself without the ultra-athleticism. But everything is intact. His short mid-range pull up, his floaters, his left hand and right hand, his speed to the basket, using his first step – getting guys to go lateral while he’s in the continuance of going forward with his herky-jerky moves…he’s just doing the things that he normally does. I think he’s a lot more mature with his game, he has his style, he knows his style and he understands where he wants to go on the court.

GettyStephon Marbury in Beijing

During Derrick Rose’s playing career for his hometown Chicago Bulls, he suffered multiple ACL and MCL injuries that changed the trajectory of everything imaginable.

After his Bulls heyday, Rose also played for the New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers and Minnesota Timberwolves. Rose began making strides during the 2018 NBA Playoffs as a member of the Timberwolves. The point guard averaged 14 points per game coming off the bench for Minnesota and shot an impressive 50.9 percent from the field while shooting 70 percent from downtown.

Marbury wasn’t the only NBA’er to speak highly of Rose. Jamal Crawford recently called Rose a Hall of Famer. “I’m like his biggest fan to be honest with you,” Crawford told Scoop B Radio.

“I love watching him.”

“He’s explosive in a different way now,” Dwyane Wade recently told me.

“He plays the game with so much smarts and his pace is incredible. He’s explosive underneath the basket just as good as he was above he still has a lot left in the tank.”