It has been so far so good for the New York Knicks' offseason acquisition, Jalen Brunson. The former Dallas Mavericks point guard has been everything he's been chalked up to be thus far, and Knicks fans are loving the emergence of their new star.
For his part, however, Derrick Rose has seen his role diminish this season, particularly when it comes to his time on the court. In New York's first two games, the former league MVP has played in just 14.0 minutes per contest, as opposed to the 24.5 minutes he averaged last season.
Derrick Rose could not care any less, though (via Peter Botte of the New York Times):
“I’m letting Thibs dictate that. I didn’t talk to him at all about it,” said Rose. “My job is to just be vocal and try to express what I see on the court. As far as minutes, I don’t worry about it because of the saying, ‘if you stay ready, you don’t got to get ready.’ That’s my mindset.
“… My job is to push the pace. If not, take me out and put somebody in that can fulfill the job. I’m not worried about minutes, never worried about minutes. It’s what’s better for the team. It could be Deuce [second-year guard Miles McBride]. It could be times that I don’t play. Who cares? As long as we win, I don’t care.”
Rose has clearly bought into Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau's system, and he doesn't mind spending more time warming the bench if it's for the betterment of the team.
Despite his limited run, Rose has made a significant impact on the team, particularly in their blowout win against the Detroit Pistons. The 34-year-old logged 13 points off the bench on 4-of-6 shooting, along with three triples, three rebounds, and six assists.
Despite his strong performance against Detroit, however, Rose wants to see more from himself:
“This too shall pass. This is probably the worst you see me play,” Rose said. “I don’t play pickup. I’m feeling out the games, trying not to mess up the game by being out there and being too aggressive. Just feeling out who’s out there and who is with me.
“… I’m not trying to downplay my play but understanding that I still got to get my timing on, my jump shot, still got to get my timing on. I’m working all the time to get my timing. … I’m kind of out of rhythm on certain plays. But it’s gonna come the more I play.”
The New York Knicks are hoping to make noise in the East this season, and it is clear that Derrick Rose will have a part to play in whatever success this team is able to achieve this year.