The New York Knicks continue to suffer through a subpar season. Prior to the campaign kicking off, New York was looked at as a threat in the Eastern Conference especially considering their offseason acquisition of point guard Derrick Rose. Instead, that signing has been nothing short of a disaster. Forwards Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis were also supposed to be a dynamic scoring combination and while they were both considered borderline All-Stars, their production hasn’t translated to wins.
The season has been mired in controversy and those extra off-court distractions have resulted in a dysfunctional team. After a trade deadline that many experts saw the Knicks making moves before, Phil Jackson and the New York front office must figure out how to move forward and rebuild around Porzingis.
For the time being, the Knicks need to do everything in their power to make a playoff push and if they were to do so, point guard Derrick Rose would have to figure out how to be more effective on the offensive end. While the former-MVP has shown flashes of his old scoring prowess, his lack of a consistent jumper, especially from deep, often makes him predictable. With a season-defining stretch upcoming, Rose knows he has to work on his ability to connect from range if the Knicks want to become more prolific. Following from Marc Berman of the New York Post:
His rarely used 3-point shot will be raring to go as soon as the postseason.
Rose, who bedeviled the Magic on Wednesday with his explosions to the rim on his way to an 18-point, seven-rebound, four-assist night, acknowledged the Knicks coaching staff is trying to get him to toss up a 3-ball now and then.
“I’m trying to put pieces of my game together,” Rose said after Thursday’s optional practice at Temple. “I’m not shooting 3s yet. Hopefully I’ll start shooting them in the playoffs. It’s going to take a lot of sacrifice and dedication to get there. I’m just adding pieces to my game throughout the season.”
On the season, Rose has only sunk 13 threes on 57 attempts good for a twenty-two percent mark. With the Knicks currently four games out of the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference, they’re going to need contributions from everyone, especially with starting center Joakim Noah being sidelined. Even with the playoffs being a long shot, the re-addition of the three-point shot to Rose’s arsenal could pay dividends for his own stock once he hits free agency this coming summer.
