Derrick Rose Will Be All-Star For New York Knicks In 2016-17 Season

Derrick Rose was recently traded from the Chicago Bulls to the New York Knicks, and this move will shake up the Eastern Conference quite a bit. Rose is in a contract year, and so he’ll bring his best effort on and off the court in the 2016-17 season. He seems excited about his new opportunity.

“I’m grateful to be where I’m at,” Rose said at his introductory press conference. “I could have been anywhere. Not saying all the other teams are bad places, but to be in this market, to be in the city [with] the legacy, the history of basketball. I’m grateful. I’m grateful to be here. I feel like they’re going to appreciate me a little bit more.”

Derrick, a Chicago native, appeared thankful to have another chance to prove his worth in the NBA, but it will be strange to see him in a different uniform. What can fans in New York expect from him? He’ll give it all on the hardwood, and the media out there will mince his words to bits. It might end up being a brief experiment, but Derrick should have no problem using the Knicks to leverage a lengthy deal for himself next summer.

That is why Rose will be an All-Star again. He’s coming off a season with almost no injuries to his lower extremities, and that is incredibly rare for him. He should play at least 70 games while putting up quality averages in the 2016-17 campaign. Does that mean the Knicks will make the playoffs? Not necessarily.

Rose and Carmelo Anthony will struggle together at first, because both of them are used to dominating the ball. And then there is Kristaps Porzingis, who is the future of the franchise. Rose will benefit from the spacing that the big man will provide, but will those two gel quickly enough to make an immediate impact? It remains to be determined.

Porzingis will be in New York for a long time, and Derrick is hoping that he can be as well; it all comes down to his production next season. If Rose is injury prone with the Knicks, then this will be a short honeymoon. However, the more likely scenario is that he’ll record huge numbers in a contract year.