New York Knicks’ Derrick Rose says he has’ synergy ‘with coach Tom Thibodeau

Derrick Rose said when he decided to leave the Detroit Pistons the only choice in his mind was to reunite with former coach Tom Thibodeau and executive William Wesley with the New York Knicks.

“Of course,” Rose said after scoring 14 points in 20 minutes in his debut Tuesday night, a 98-96 loss to Miami to the Heat. “Even though I couldn’t say that back then, I just wanted to be comfortable. Like I said, I’ve known these guys from high school, eighth, high school, so I come here, like I said, it’s family. I never really thought of anything else but really to come here and understand that they wanted me to help grow the young men they already have here. “

Rose, who the Knicks officially acquired on Monday in exchange for point guard Dennis Smith Jr. and Charlotte’s 2021 second-round pick, performed well in her first game with the franchise since leaving as a free agent at the end of the 2015-16 season. Rose went 5 for 9 from the field, including 2 for 3 to 3 points, to get three assists and two turnovers in her 20:20 short time.

Those minutes came exclusively with Knicks rookie playmaker Immanuel Quickley, with whom Thibodeau partnered with Rose on the field. Thibodeau said after the game that he liked the look the pair offer together and indicated that it will be the backcourt for New York’s second unit going forward. He added that the Rose player replaced in the rotation, Austin Rivers, would now be a “situational” player.

“I think you see it a lot when you have multiple points of protection on the ground, it gives you another ball handler, a secondary ball handler, and you can probably include Alec. [Burks] in there too, “said Thibodeau.” So that gives us three guys who can get out of the dribble, and all three of them are very effective in pick and roll. Their versatility allows them to blend in with both groups. So I think we’ll see some of it as we go along as well. “

For Rose, this is the third time in his career that he has played with Thibodeau, his coach in Chicago from 2010 to 2015, then again as part of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons. When asked what brings them together, Rose laughed and said he and his coach were a “weird couple” before talking about their mutual love for the game.

“The synergy we have, I can’t explain it,” Rose said. “We’re a strange couple, but for some reason we understand the game. And the closest thing I can probably say is that we are students of the game. We watch the game. We try to understand the game better and try to improve, if not every day, every week, every month, every two months, every year. There is always room for improvement, and it’s for the good of the team. Wherever I go, wherever he goes, we are always trying to win. “

After the trade was made, there was some apprehension among Knicks fans that Rose was eating the minutes Quickley, the 25th pick in the NBA Draft in November, could play.

Quickley, who entered Tuesday’s game averaging 12 points as a rookie and shooting 36.3 percent from 3-point range, has been impressive in his rookie season. He showed flashes of the game of one of his idols, veteran goalie Lou Williams, in terms of being a solid 3-point shooter who is also adept at drawing fouls and hitting floats in the lane.

If Tuesday’s game was any indication, however, Quickley’s rotating spot is sure to move forward. And, for her part, Rose praised the rookie. Since the exchange, he has said on several occasions that he is delighted to be playing alongside Quickley.

“It shouldn’t be too hard [playing] with him, Rose said. We are similar. He is on a double team in his first year. There aren’t too many recruits who get this kind of attention. For him, seeing this kind of start is just going to improve his game. The game will slow down even more. And he listens. That’s what is most beautiful about him, he listens. With this, you always have room for improvement.

“It’s a dog. It’s a dog. I can not explain it. You have to be a player to understand it. [If] we are fighting, I know he is fighting. “

Ultimately, however, Rose’s debut was marred by a late return from the Heat, who swept this series at home and at home with the Knicks by completing the same lap – escaping with a win thanks to a better. running in the home stretch – every second Sunday in New York and Tuesday night in Orlando.

After Jimmy Butler, who led Miami with 26 points, 8 rebounds and 10 assists, missed one of two free throws with 6.2 seconds left, the Knicks looked to even the score, as sophomore goalie RJ Barrett caught the ball at the top of the key with Butler defending it and attacked the rim with his dominant left hand.

But Barrett’s layup attempt came off the front of the rim and the Knicks fell for the seventh time in 10 games after a promising start to the season. They are tied with the Heat for ninth in the East and only have one game ahead of the Orlando Magic in 13th.

“I looked really good,” said Barrett, who had 13 points and six rebounds but only shot 5 for 14 from the field. “Layup going to my strong hand … I have to finish them.”