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Don’t Expect Derrick Rose to Arrive In Boston

By C.J Maffris

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If there is one thing a general manager in the NBA should think about, it is trying to improve the team they work for. Sometimes plans are built over a long stretch or time, while others might be thought of in a day. Right now there seems to be a consensus around the NBA that the Chicago Bulls and Derrick Rose are heading for a divorce.

It just seems strange for a former MVP to all of a sudden fall out of favor with the team he’s played his entire career for. So if Rose is available, does that mean the Boston Celtics should strike to make a deal for him? I for one hope the Celtics stay far away from the damaged goods that is Derrick Rose.

That’s right, the World Wide Leaders’ analyst Brian Windhorst appeared on a radio show talking about how both Rose and Bulls are beginning to split. The writing does seem to be on the wall, considering what’s taken place in Chicago just the start of the season. The team has turned into Jimmy Butler‘s team (at least that is what people are saying), and it looks like Nikola Mirotic is poised to become the player the front office thought.

So, with Rose looking less and less like a desirable player, it makes sense that the Bulls would want to get rid someone whose commanding over $20 million. It doesn’t make much sense on a business standpoint to keep him. It might just be better if Rose has a change of scenery.

This season hasn’t started out well for the star point guard. In just his last three games, Rose wasn’t able to reach double-digits in points. Scoring was never supposed to be a problem for Rose during his career. He’s shooting just 33 percent from the floor and do not get me started about his three-point shooting (he’s hit as many three-point shots as I have this season).

It looks even worse when you go into the advanced stats with Rose’s PER at a poultry 6.6 and has a BPM of -8.5. From the games I’ve watched Rose just seems lost, and does not seem to fit on this roster. He doesn’t play defense entirely well (this was an issue even before this season), and his perimeter shooting was always a work-in-progress. So with the change of personnel on the coaching front, it might be the time to let go of Rose.

However, is there even a market for Rose? He’s signed for next year at a $20 million cap hit (so right now he’s owed $40 million counting this season), which is very expensive. There aren’t a lot of contracts in the league that are that bad that can be used to move Rose. His trade value has to be an an all-time low, so those crazy Gerald Wallace type contracts just aren’t out there to make a deal work (Wallace’s contract wouldn’t even be enough). So it will take a few moves to make a team able to acquire Rose, if anyone out there really wants him.

Derrick Rose has had a troubling start to the season. Is there any team that truly wants to try and fit him in their system? Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports

So would Rose look good in the green and white that the Celtics offer for players? I personally don’t think so. I was able to make a trade work (simply for this article), which involved David Lee ($15 million), Tyler Zeller and Evan Turner. So it is possible for the team to acquire the former MVP.

However, that wouldn’t make much sense with what the Celtics are trying to build. I’m sure Brad Stevens could maximize Rose’s ability due to him doing it last season with players like Turner and Zeller. But I don’t see how Rose can fit on this roster. Right now Rose is a fast point guard who is having offensive struggles. Besides the fast part, the entire Celtics roster seems to have trouble on the offensive side of the ball. So a move gaining Rose wouldn’t really improve anything on the team. It would just bring in another guard to the Celtics’ rotation. Add in the fact that Rose isn’t the best defensively, and that makes him a less efficient option than Isaiah Thomas.

The Celtics already have a devastating backcourt combination with Avery Bradley and Marcus Smart this season. I don’t think starting Rose over either of them would help either players’ development. The two have been especially tenacious on defense already in this young season. Plus Terry Rozier has been billed as a “pit bull” on defense, making opponents feel like there is no escape when playing offense.

Sure, Isaiah Thomas has his issues on defense, but when he’s usually on the floor against other team’s second-unit it isn’t that large of a problem to deal with (second-unit players can’t score as effectively). So by adding Rose to that rotation, minutes would be lost on a rotation that really doesn’t need another body. Also, I don’t want another point guard to take valuable minutes away from a prospect who could be a better player right now (Smart), and become better in the future. Sure Rose’s reputation is a lot greater than any of the point guards the Celtics own, but I think collectively they are much better, and will be for the rest of Rose’ career.

By no means, do I want to disrupt the current guard rotation by adding Derrick Rose. If the Celtics plan to trade David Lee (which is looking more likely with his play so far), they should use that $15 million for a more worth wild player. Rose just isn’t the catch that he once was. That could be because of his injuries over the years, but that doesn’t mean Boston should try to fix something that might already be too broken. I’m a fan for improving the team, but this wouldn’t do that at all. For the Celtics they should just worry about their own issues, instead of trying to bring in a less-than-effective former MVP.

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*All stats and cap numbers courtesy of ESPN.com, Basketball-Reference.com, and spotrac.com 

C.J Maffris is a writer for Hardwoodhoudini.com. He couldn’t believe how much money David Lee is receiving the season. Feel free to follow C.J to talk Celtics basketball on Twitter @SeaJayMaffris

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