NEW YORK – Derrick Rose sat at the dais, the latest New York Knicks savior in a long line of them, and acknowledged that he can say all the right things, but he must prove it on the court.
Prove that he still is the kind of player that won league MVP (he believes he’s close to that form). The kind of elite, attacking guard that can carry a team, and together with Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis, bring the Knicks back to relevancy.
The Knicks have badly needed a franchise point guard for a long time. Just maybe, they finally have one to build around.
Rose, who was acquired from the Chicago Bulls by New York in a blockbuster trade on Wednesday, insisted at his introductory press conference Friday at Madison Square Garden that he hopes to be in the Big Apple “for the rest of my career.” His contract is set to expire during Summer 2017.
“I don’t know why I was traded, but I would like to tell them thank you,” said Rose, who will wear No. 25 in orange and blue after donning No. 1 in Chicago. He added that he holds no grudge against the Bulls, but will use the move as motivation. “For real -- for giving me another start.
“I’m grateful to be where I’m at. I could have been anywhere. I’m not saying all the other teams are bad places but to be in this market … I feel like (fans are) going to appreciate me a little bit more.”
And the MSG faithful will definitely be thankful if Rose can help end the Knicks playoff drought which is at three seasons and counting.
Of course, team president Phil Jackson will only want the 27-year-old to stick around if he performs, and more importantly, stays healthy. Jackson acknowledged Thursday that Rose has “had issues” staying on the court. The Memphis product played just 39 games during the 2010-11 season and missed the following campaign with an ACL tear.
He went on to play in just 10 games in 2013-14 and 51 contests the season after. Last year, he seemed to turn a corner, with 66 games logged.
“I feel like I’m great right now,” said Rose, who wore a blue Knicks polo and a scruffy beard. “Where I came from, as far as just getting through my rehabs and just having the opportunity to just play basketball; I feel like that’s the only thing I was missing these last couple of years was my rhythm.
“I was strong, I felt like my body was strong. You go through a season and you get nagging injuries but I felt like my body healed up and this summer is all about conditioning and catching that rhythm again.”
The Knicks dealt starting center Robin Lopez, 2015 first-round pick Jerian Grant and veteran point guard for Rose, Justin Holliday and a 2017 second-rounder. Jackson indicated he doesn’t plan to start Porzingis at the 5 in 2016, so the Knicks are in the market for a new pivot.
Joakim Noah, who played with Rose in Chicago for seven seasons, is likely to be their top target.
“I want him,” said Rose, who told reporters he chatted with Noah on Thursday night about signing with the Knicks. “He knows that. I think his family knows that. I think everyone knows that.”
Rose was in Los Angeles, where he trains in the offseason, when he got a call form his agent, B.J. Armstrong, prepping him a couple of hours before the deal happened. The 2008 No. 1 overall pick admitted the news “hurt a little bit” and that it was emotional to leave not just the only place he played professional ball, but where he grew up.
He also was affected by the realization he’ll see his son P.J. less, but knows the child will understand when he’s older.
The 6-foot-3 athlete never seemed too emotional during Friday’s festivities. Instead, he appeared to be a man who has a new lease on life. And he wants to make the most of it after being written off by so many pundits.
“I just want to win, man,” he said. “That’s the only thing I want to do. I know it’s going to be a lot of pressure, people are going to put a lot of pressure on this, but it’s like no pressure at all. All we gotta do is go out there, play together and win games, one game at a time.
“I feel like something special is going to happen. I’m putting in all the work. The last time I had this much time to really focus on basketball was the year before I won MVP.”
