Wolves' Rose garners praise from Walker, others
Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Derrick Rose has received considerable support from his peers this summer and that trend continued last week at the NBA 2K19 party in Brooklyn.
Charlotte Hornets point guard Kemba Walker, who has had multiple battles with Rose, told Brandon Robinson of 'Scoop B' Radio he's a huge fan of the former league MVP.
"Man, I’m a huge, huge Derrick Rose fan," Walker told Robinson. "I’m happy to see him playing. I hope he has a healthy year. If he stays healthy, you know what you’re going to get from D-Rose."
Rose, the youngest MVP in NBA history, is clearly not the player he once was, but can you blame him? The Chicago native has had five surgeries, two on each knee and one on his left eye to repair an orbital fracture.
Despite the injuries, though, Rose remains one of the league’s elite finishers at the rim. League scouts continue to marvel at his ability to get to the basket at will and finish in heavy traffic. During the 2016-17 season with the New York Knicks, Rose ranked fourth in the NBA in points off of drives — scoring 8.2 a game.
Rose began last season with the Cleveland Cavaliers, but was traded to the Utah Jazz at the 2018 February trade deadline. The Jazz then waived Rose, allowing him to sign with the Timberwolves for the rest of the season.
Rose was minimally used in the nine regular season games he played with Minnesota. He posted 5.8 points in about 12 minutes per game. Rose’s role, however, changed during the playoffs and he delivered in a big way.
The explosive guard averaged 14.2 points while shooting an efficient 50.9 percent from the field and 70 percent from three in his five postseason games, playing 24 minutes a contest. Rose showed off that quick first step throughout the series against the Rockets.
Walker is the latest player to defend Rose this offseason. Jamal Crawford, who played with Rose in Minnesota, told Robinson that Rose is “still better than so many guards.” Houston Rockets shooting guard Eric Gordon is a childhood friend of Rose and said, "If y’all don’t love Derrick Rose, then idk what to say to ya. Probably the most athletic point guard to ever play this game. I see people tend to seek the negative quicker than the positive on his career. Completely unfair."
Fellow Chicago native Jabari Parker also spoke highly of Rose at his introductory press conference with the Chicago Bulls, calling Rose “a legend.”
The media will most likely continue to criticize Rose because it’s the easy thing to do. Rose, however, will always receive support from his peers and that’s all that matters at the end of the day.
