NBA Rumors: Derrick Rose Should Replace Jeff Teague As Timberwolves Starting PG, Says Kevin Garnett
Former MVP Derrick Rose spent most of his NBA career as the main man and a starter. Unfortunately, after being hit by multiple injuries, Rose lost his All-Star status, and as of now, most NBA teams no longer consider him as a starting-caliber point guard. The 2017-18 NBA season was rough for the veteran point guard and he came to the point that he considered an early retirement.
Luckily, Coach Tom Thibodeau and the Minnesota Timberwolves gave Derrick Rose the opportunity to prove himself once again in the league. In March, Rose reunited with former Chicago Bulls teammates Jimmy Butler and Taj Gibson in Minnesota. The 29-year-old point guard somewhat managed to leave a good impression in the Western Conference Playoffs, where he averaged 14.2 points on 50.9 percent shooting from the field and 70 percent from beyond the arc.
In the recent free agency, Derrick Rose signed a one-year, $2.3 million contract with the Timberwolves. Like his role with the Timberwolves last season, Rose is expected to battle for playing time against Tyus Jones for the role as primary back up point guard. However, there are some people who believe Rose still has lots of things to offer to the game. In a recent interview with Brandon Robinson of Scoop B, former Timberwolves forward and TNT analyst Kevin Garnett said that Rose should replace Jeff Teague as the team’s starting point guard in the upcoming 2018-19 NBA season.
“It’s D-Rose,” Garnett said. “You know, you get older, but the knowledge don’t go anywhere. He’s more crafty now than ever in the pick-and-roll. He’s able to get shots for guys and he’s able to knock shots down, so yeah, I would.”
Make your 'Timberbulls' jokes…
but reuniting @LuolDeng9 with Thibs, D-Rose, Jimmy and Taj can only be a good thing » https://t.co/6fBVkoJL7r pic.twitter.com/HzVR54eSz3
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) September 11, 2018
Now that another former Bull, Luol Deng, has joined the Timberwolves, it is intriguing to know if Coach Tom Thibodeau will use the strategy that helped the Bulls become a successful team in the Eastern Conference. If Derrick Rose proves he’s 100 percent healthy and succeeds in regaining his All-Star form, there is a possibility, though only minimal, that Thibodeau will try using him as his starting point guard.
Like Kevin Garnett, Jamal Crawford also believes in Derrick Rose. Despite his history of injuries, Crawford still considered Rose as one of the elite point guards in the league.
“He’s still as fast as any guard out there. He would have some practices where he’d just dominate and get to the lane at will, hit shots, hit mid-range shots and floaters, all the reasons people love him. And he can do all those things. He would just run back so nonchalant, like I could do this whenever I want.”
