Club struggling without Rose
NEW YORK — When the Knicks made the deal last month to bring Derrick Rose aboard, it may have brought questions about what role he would play and if it would stunt the growth of the rebuilding team.
But in his absence the Knicks are realizing just how important the veteran guard is to any hopes they harbor for a postseason run.
Rose, subjected to the NBA’s health and safety protocols, has missed the last three games. The Knicks managed a win over the struggling Pistons in the middle but have dropped a 26-point decision to the Spurs and returned from the All-Star break and were humbled in a 33-point loss at Milwaukee.
Just how long the team will be without Rose remains a mystery as, with HIPA regulations, the Knicks have not disclosed a reason for his absence or how long he might be sidelined. He was held out of the San Antonio gamefor an inconclusive COVID19 test, but then after multiple negative tests Rose was allowed to fly home with the team. Then he was forced out of action again the last two games with no official explanation.
“Of course we miss Derrick,” Taj Gibson said. “Right now we’ve got to fight with what we got [and] understand that he’s doing what he has to do to try to get back to us and recover. Right now, we’re just trying to hold down the fort.
“We’ve got enough to win. We’ve got a lot of guys in that locker room believing that we can go out there and win games. That’s the positive about this team. Everybody’s together.
“Everybody’s working hard together and everybody understands the stakes. We put the pressure on each other, but it’s a good kind of pressure. Looking forward to getting him back soon, but until then we’ve just got to hold down the fort.”
In Thursday’s start to the second half, Elfrid Payton shot 4-for-14 and had just three assists while Immanuel Quickley shot 3-for-10 and didn’t hand out an assist.
The offense slogged through the game with Julius Randle enduring his worst game of the season as the Bucks put pressure on him and there was often no outlet for him to find.
While Rose has certainly helped boost the offense this season, the Knicks have seen a deficiency highlighted again in his absence.
With Rose and Payton on expiring contracts, it also brings intrigue to the March 25 trade deadline and if the Knicks survive the arduous schedule to that point, a decision might have to be made whether to bring in help for Randle and the offense.