Whatever you might think of Derrick Rose the person and Derrick Rose the player, you can’t deny that he’s never lacked confidence.
On many occasions, that’s been part of the problem. People don’t want to hear him expressing faith in his abilities and his star status after all these injuries and setbacks and on-court regressions. They want you to submit to their perception of your game and standing in the league. That, truthfully, isn’t Rose’s issue.
NBA players are where they are because they’re damn confident, and Rose is no different, not even now, as he navigates the (often self-made) minefield that his the New York media.
The reason for his latest foray into the headlines? He believes he can be an elite point guard once again, per ESPN.com’s Ian Begley:
Rose was asked after Knicks practice on Monday if he wants to show this season that he still is an elite point guard.
“Yeah, but I know I am,” he said. “That’s no surprise to me. It’s only a matter of time until I put it together. All the hard work I put in, everything how I dedicated my whole life to this game, what I sacrificed. It’s only a few that did it and that’s doing it. So it’s all about just putting it together.”
Again, this is not an answer atypical of any NBA player, especially one that’s reached the individual pinnacle of his profession with an MVP award. Plus, Rose was prompted; this was not unsolicited.
What’s he supposed to say? That he has no faith in his explosion? Or his ability to finish at a high level around the rim? Or his capacity to develop a jump shot? Or the odds that he’ll be able to play an entire season without suffering some freak injury or setback?
That’s unrealistic, as are Rose’s odds of climbing much further up the point guard ladder. He is only 28 and some team will pay him infree agency. But if you’re not a point guard who can down threes or post double-digit assist totals every game, you’re staring up at a glass ceiling.
Maybe Rose can reinvent himself in New York. Perhaps he’ll do it elsewhere. History tells players this deep into their prime don’t typically change their play styles while regaining all the ground they lost in their fall from stardom. But Rose will want to make himself as appealing as possible, on the court, to prospective free-agent suitors, including the New York Knicks, next summer. So who knows, maybe this year, this time, the work we know he puts in will pay off.
