Getty Derrick Rose, Pistons
Detroit Pistons point guard, Derrick Rose has been playing inspired basketball for the Detroit Pistons this season.
For those keeping score at home: Rose, a three-time NBA All-Star is averaging 18.1 points, 2.4 rebounds and 5.6 assists in 50 games for Detroit this season.
Last month, the NBA’s regular season was put on hiatus as a result of 14 people around the league tested for the coronavirus. Notables like Kevin Durant, Rudy Gobert, Donovan Mitchell were among those 14.
Before the league halted, Derrick Rose was living his best life in a Pistons uniform. The former number one overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft out of the University of Memphis is shooting 49.0 percent from the floor, 30.6 percent from beyond the arc and 87.1 percent from the free-throw line.
“Oh, I love watching him,” Jamal Crawford told me on the Scoop B Radio Podcast this week.
“He’s someone who was written off, someone who was — I think people didn’t give him the proper respect on his name. From different places, different situations.”
During his days as the focal point of his hometown Chicago Bulls, Rose suffered multiple ACL and MCL injuries that changed the trajectory of his career. Since playing for the Bulls, Rose has played for the New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavalies 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.
Rose, the NBA’s Most Valuable Player in 2011, caught the eyes of many last season after dropping 50 points in a game against the Utah Jazz.
“He’s a Hall of Famer,” says Jamal Crawford.
“He’s unbelievable. He’s fun to watch. He’s such a genuine person. I’ll always root for him. I’m like his biggest fan to be honest with you. I love watching him.
“Think about that, he knew he was this D-Rose all along, whether he was in Cleveland, whether he was in Minnesota, whatever. Getting waived from Utah…But he knew he was this same guy all along.”
Jamal Crawford isn’t the only person signing Rose’s praises. Dwyane Wade admires Rose’s ability to evolve. “He’s explosive in a different way now,” Wade 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.”