The name of Derrick Rose has made the NBA world divided for almost a decade now, but somehow his name has gone from famous to infamous for reasons that are difficult to comprehend.
Being a professional athlete that is traded by a franchise or severely injured somehow depletes your fan base. In Derrick Rose’s case, Chicago letting him go and tearing his ACL after winning an MVP has made him a notorious figure around the NBA.
But is it fair to make Derrick Rose’s name ill-famed, or is it justified? What has D-Rose done to the basketball community to be painted as a villain that is unworthy of success?
These are the questions that I have as a Timberwolves editor who isn’t even a Derrick Rose fan, but yet I feel the need to let everyone know that we shouldn’t combat work ethic and hope in sports.
One thing you can’t argue about Rose is that his resiliency is unlike any other in the NBA. Any player with his type of ‘fall-off’ and injuries would’ve been out of the league by now, but yet, he keeps fighting.
Seeing Rose play only nine regular season games with the Minnesota Timberwolves was not exactly what I had pictured when trying to fight for a playoff spot down-the-road.
Yet, Rose was magical in the playoffs. Arguably being the best Wolves option at the point guard position, which is saying a lot for a healthy Jeff Teague on the depth chart. You may look at his numbers and think ‘average’ but what Rose did for the Timberwolves was set a tone.
I believe Derrick Rose will come back in his 2018-19 NBA campaign and surprise the masses, winning Most Improved Player of the Year.
Here are my three reasons: