New York Knicks point guard Derrick Rose has apparently been working on his threes and hopes to be taking them in the playoffs.
According to ESPN’s Basketball Power Index, the New York Knicks have a 1.5 percent chance to make the postseason. Good for Derrick Rose for thinking positively, though.
The former MVP told Marc Berman of The New York Post that he hopes to have his three-point shot ready by the playoffs.
“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.”
Per Berman, Rose explained that although he could shoot threes if he wanted to, he doesn’t want to face more criticism. He’d rather be efficient.
“I shoot them in practice,” Rose said. “In the game, I got to be efficient, and that’s what I’m trying to do now. KYP: Know your personnel. The way I’m being effective now is with the mid-range.
“I can shoot them now. I choose not to. I could shoot five of them, [but] nah, I don’t have time dealing with the critics and all that comes with it. I want to be efficient than just try things.”
Rose mentioned his effectiveness with the mid-range game this season (41.3 percent on 218 attempts); which has led to his highest field goal percentage since his second season in the league.
The Knicks expected big things from Rose in 2016-17, but three-point shooting wasn’t one of them. Entering the season Rose was a career 30.2 percent shooter from beyond the arc on 2.9 attempts per game.
After shooting well below 30.0 percent for the past two seasons in Chicago, the 28-year-old decided to stay away from the long-range game in New York. He’s put up only 57 shots from three-point land, and he’s converted on just 13 (22.8 percent).
According to NBA.com, Rose took 45 of his 57 threes while he was “open” or “wide open” and converted at a 24.4 percent clip. So yeah, all the evidence says he shouldn’t be taking threes.
The odds are overwhelming that the Knicks won’t be around in the playoffs for Rose to show off his three-point shooting. Even if they are, the last thing New York should want is a perimeter-oriented Derrick Rose.
