Derrick Rose is going to try and give it a go when the New York Knicks square off against the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night.
Rose has missed each of the last two games with back spasms but is ready to make his return to the rotation, per ESPN.com’s Ian Begley:
“That’s the plan,” he said after participating in a full practice on Monday. “I just want to put all these injuries behind me and get on with the season.”
Rose said that he no longer feels the effects of the spasms and doesn’t believe that they will hamper him throughout the season.
“I think it’s just a one-shot thing,” he said. “Before I fell I wasn’t worried about it. Things like this are going to happen. It comes with the season — bumps and falls. I just got to find a way around it. I can’t let it get to me mentally.”
The Knicks definitely miss Rose’s dribble penetration when he’s not on the floor. According to NBA.com, they go from scoring like a top-six machine when he’s in the game, to sputtering like a bottom-three attack when he sits.
Rose’s offense comes at the expense of the Knicks’ defense, but they won’t be winning any awards for their poorly built fortress. Offense is their bag right now, and Rose’s ability to draw double-teams and reach the rim has become a big part of what they do on the more glamorous end.
We’ll let you decided whether this dependence on Rose is a good or bad thing.
