Derrick Rose‘s debut with the New York Knicks at Quicken Loans Arena was everything that was expected — fast, explosive, but ultimately rusty and out of control. The Knicks were smashed by the reigning champions Cleveland Cavaliers, 117-88, on Tuesday night's season-opener.
The 2011 MVP is coming back from a civil trial that took two-plus weeks of his training camp/preseason stint with his new team, making only the initial preseason game before attending to his legal matters.
“I felt good, but a couple of finishes I’m still trying to shake the rust off,’’ Rose told Marc Berman of the New York Post. “But I was happy the way I was still able to get to the rim.”
“Just getting used to the offense. Of course I want to pick-and-roll every time down but with the triangle… you got to get used to it so it’s not that foreign. We got a lot of room to make up on that side of the ball, too.’’
Rose received a crash course from head coach Jeff Hornacek and the rest of his coaching staff, all pertaining to the simplified triangle offense the Knicks have been tinkering with during the preseason. Realistically speaking, Rose will have his growing pains as the point guard is the one who has to mentally design the play and see it develop before putting it in action.
The Chicago native totaled four turnovers and only one assist during the first half, clearly playing a little too fast out of the gate.
“Turnovers is just overthinking,” he said. “A few of them I over-penetrated. I think I had all four of them in the first half. As a point guard that sucks. I can get a lot better in that area, but I loved the way I attacked.’’
Derrick Rose looked mobile and spry, but just unable to find go-to spots on the floor, which ended up on him recklessly attacking the basket and being inefficient with the ball in his hands at times. He finished with 17 points, three rebounds, and one assist during his Knicks debut.
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