A Basketball Town: Defending Derrick Rose’s Confidence
by Ira Barasch 2 minutes ago Follow @IraB523

is upset at Derrick Rose for calling the New York Knicks a super team, but why is that such a bad thing?

New York is a basketball town.

It’s always exciting when the Mets and Yankees do well, everyone went crazy when the Giants won the Super Bowl, and the Jets made the AFC title game. The Garden is electric every night for the Rangers and Islanders fans are die hard. Yet, nothing will ever touch the energy and feel of when the Knicks are actually good, because New York lives and breathes basketball.

We’ve created some of the best players in history. From Mark Jackson and Bob Cousy to Dr. J and Kareem Abdul-Jabar, this town truly epitomizes the essence of the game. Playing on a terrible basket with no net on an equally terrible court, New York has a deep-rooted love for basketball.

Yet, That love mixed with New York’s usual brash confidence often leads to a media frenzy, and that’s exactly what happened with Derrick Rose

When asked about the hype and expectations with this team, Rose told Lang Whitaker of NBA.com:

“[Expectations are] high, I mean, with these teams right now, they’re saying us and Golden State are the super teams, and they’re trying not to build that many super teams, and Adam Silver came out with the statement and this and that. And the expectations I think of us, we just want to win. Talking to Melo and all the guys who’ve been around. You’ve got Brandon [Jennings] who just signed for one year, he’s got to show why he’s there. I’ve got to show why I’m there. Joakim [Noah] has to show why he’s there. Everybody’s trying to prove themselves.”
That’s a bold statement coming from a player who, since winning NBA MVP in 2010-11, hasn’t been the same as he used to be.

Some of the other players that the Knicks just acquired are either coming off questionable seasons (Brandon Jennings) or have been breaking down from the wear and tear of the game (Joakim Noah).

Calling this team a ‘super team’ on par with the Golden State Warriors is an impossible expectation to live up to, let alone defend, but we can try to understand why he said it.

Rose came over in a trade that many thought would never happen. The Knicks didn’t pay much to acquire him, and he instantly had the hopes of a franchise resting on his shoulders once again.

As Chicago’s window to win a title was dwindling down, and Rose struggled to stay healthy, you could already feel his confidence starting to dim. He was talking about life in retirement, his commitment to the game, and he was the butt of every joke.

He went from being the number one overall draft pick in 2008 to being ridiculed by the town he was literally born in.

Rose coming to New York created a buzz in this town not seen for quite a while. Every true sports fan in this city feels it. That anticipation for the season to start is palpable and this team is legitimately expected to make the playoffs for the first time in a while.

New York instantly embraced Rose coming over, from his introductory press conference to his winning smile, the guy is just likable. Yet what makes his statement really forgivable is the fact that he kind of has a point.

Calm down, this isn’t me putting the Knicks on par with a team that literally has an argument for being the best team ever assembled. The comparison to Golden State was a bit overdone but the essence behind the statement still rings true.

This is a team of players that weren’t just thrown together in a free agency scramble; these are players that recruited each other.

Rose got Noah to sign, who in turn got Courtney Lee to sign, all of which was seen by Lance Thomas so he re-signed, which led to Brandon Jennings coming aboard.

That’s a kind of cohesion rarely seen anymore. A group of players who believe in each other that much and all want to play here.

The confidence Rose is showing is a good thing, even if it’s a bit boastful. Seeing Rose being that fired up about the upcoming season and have that much confidence in the team he’s playing on, after all the heartbreak he had in Chicago, is a good thing.

Again, this isn’t an endorsement for him calling the Knicks a ‘super team’ on par with the Warriors. New York is a city like no other, we have a people who have a stubborn determination and belief in themselves, though sometimes they come off as boastful and brash.

Our teams are a reflection of that. Our players must have that drive and swagger in order to survive in this concrete jungle. Rose seems to be developing these qualities, and more importantly, rediscovering a desire to win.

New York is a basketball town, and it’s about time we had a team that reflects out personality.

The only thing left to do is wait for the season to start, and let everyone else remember that when you come into the Garden, you better be ready.

Popper on NBA: Knicks 'super' lucky Wade landed on Bulls

BY STEVE POPPER
STAFF WRITER | THE RECORD

Expectations have not been something the Knicks wanted to discuss in recent years, Phil Jackson abandoning any predictions after his first try ended disastrously with his prognosis of a playoff berth ending in the worst season in franchise history.

But with a rebuilt roster, expectations are in vogue again at Madison Square Garden. Maybe a little too much.

Derrick Rose was speaking with NBA.com and said, "With these teams right now, they’re saying us and Golden State are the super teams."

Just who is actually saying that is hard to imagine. But combining the heart of the 73-win Golden State Warriors with the addition of Kevin Durant can lead to talk of a super team. Taking the Knicks’ 32-win team from last season and stripping it almost bare, replacing the discarded pieces with talented, but injury-riddled players, hardly is in the same class.

The Knicks have seemed excitable, and not just Rose. Carmelo Anthony has expressed satisfaction with the rebuild (although not so much that he was willing to go along with Jackson’s contention that he had something to do with selecting this roster).

Anthony even spoke of the team nearly being able to land Dwyane Wade when Wade left Miami, noting that the timing was just off or Wade could have landed in New York.

Wade ended up at home, back in Chicago where he grew up, and the Knicks may have been fortunate to have missed out. As talented as Wade is, still a superstar when healthy, those times are growing rarer by the year. The Bulls tied up $47 million over two years in Wade, the sort of figure that would have taken the Knicks out of the free-agent market next summer.

With Rose, Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis, building a super team with Wade might have been nice but would have raised even more questions about the long- and short-term future of the team. Courtney Lee is not the player that Wade is, but at his price and his skill-set, he might be a better investment for Jackson and the Knicks.

Even without Wade, expectations are deservedly high. Just not that high.

"And the expectations I think of us," Rose added. "We just want to win."

It’s not super. But it’s not 17 wins, either. The Knicks are in the discussion and that’s a step forward worth talking about.

nixluva wrote:There have been some reasonable and balanced articles on the Rose comments recently and it gives me hope that some of the NY media can do a good job in reporting on the Knicks. Mostly it's the lower tier guys, but still, it's good to see.

A Basketball Town: Defending Derrick Rose’s Confidence
by Ira Barasch 2 minutes ago Follow @IraB523

is upset at Derrick Rose for calling the New York Knicks a super team, but why is that such a bad thing?

New York is a basketball town.

It’s always exciting when the Mets and Yankees do well, everyone went crazy when the Giants won the Super Bowl, and the Jets made the AFC title game. The Garden is electric every night for the Rangers and Islanders fans are die hard. Yet, nothing will ever touch the energy and feel of when the Knicks are actually good, because New York lives and breathes basketball.

We’ve created some of the best players in history. From Mark Jackson and Bob Cousy to Dr. J and Kareem Abdul-Jabar, this town truly epitomizes the essence of the game. Playing on a terrible basket with no net on an equally terrible court, New York has a deep-rooted love for basketball.

Yet, That love mixed with New York’s usual brash confidence often leads to a media frenzy, and that’s exactly what happened with Derrick Rose

When asked about the hype and expectations with this team, Rose told Lang Whitaker of NBA.com:

“[Expectations are] high, I mean, with these teams right now, they’re saying us and Golden State are the super teams, and they’re trying not to build that many super teams, and Adam Silver came out with the statement and this and that. And the expectations I think of us, we just want to win. Talking to Melo and all the guys who’ve been around. You’ve got Brandon [Jennings] who just signed for one year, he’s got to show why he’s there. I’ve got to show why I’m there. Joakim [Noah] has to show why he’s there. Everybody’s trying to prove themselves.”
That’s a bold statement coming from a player who, since winning NBA MVP in 2010-11, hasn’t been the same as he used to be.

Some of the other players that the Knicks just acquired are either coming off questionable seasons (Brandon Jennings) or have been breaking down from the wear and tear of the game (Joakim Noah).

Calling this team a ‘super team’ on par with the Golden State Warriors is an impossible expectation to live up to, let alone defend, but we can try to understand why he said it.

Rose came over in a trade that many thought would never happen. The Knicks didn’t pay much to acquire him, and he instantly had the hopes of a franchise resting on his shoulders once again.

As Chicago’s window to win a title was dwindling down, and Rose struggled to stay healthy, you could already feel his confidence starting to dim. He was talking about life in retirement, his commitment to the game, and he was the butt of every joke.

He went from being the number one overall draft pick in 2008 to being ridiculed by the town he was literally born in.

Rose coming to New York created a buzz in this town not seen for quite a while. Every true sports fan in this city feels it. That anticipation for the season to start is palpable and this team is legitimately expected to make the playoffs for the first time in a while.

New York instantly embraced Rose coming over, from his introductory press conference to his winning smile, the guy is just likable. Yet what makes his statement really forgivable is the fact that he kind of has a point.

Calm down, this isn’t me putting the Knicks on par with a team that literally has an argument for being the best team ever assembled. The comparison to Golden State was a bit overdone but the essence behind the statement still rings true.

This is a team of players that weren’t just thrown together in a free agency scramble; these are players that recruited each other.

Rose got Noah to sign, who in turn got Courtney Lee to sign, all of which was seen by Lance Thomas so he re-signed, which led to Brandon Jennings coming aboard.

That’s a kind of cohesion rarely seen anymore. A group of players who believe in each other that much and all want to play here.

The confidence Rose is showing is a good thing, even if it’s a bit boastful. Seeing Rose being that fired up about the upcoming season and have that much confidence in the team he’s playing on, after all the heartbreak he had in Chicago, is a good thing.

Again, this isn’t an endorsement for him calling the Knicks a ‘super team’ on par with the Warriors. New York is a city like no other, we have a people who have a stubborn determination and belief in themselves, though sometimes they come off as boastful and brash.

Our teams are a reflection of that. Our players must have that drive and swagger in order to survive in this concrete jungle. Rose seems to be developing these qualities, and more importantly, rediscovering a desire to win.

New York is a basketball town, and it’s about time we had a team that reflects out personality.

The only thing left to do is wait for the season to start, and let everyone else remember that when you come into the Garden, you better be ready.

http://dailyknicks.com/2016/07/24/basketball-town-defending-derrick-roses-confidence/

This one is actually a good article. I am getting a little tired of the "he has never been the same player again" meme. While it's true and I get it, hearing it repeated ad nauseam is becoming a pain in the ***.
I expect the Knicks to improve, any super team comparison is bogus in my opinion. NY is so thirsty in the desolate landscape that we called the Knicks for the last two decades that we immediately over analyze every ray of hope and take sides. While I am not enthusiastic about an apparent change in direction, I do appreciate that the roster looks more complete than it has since Jeff Van Gundy walked out the building. I am definitely looking forward to start of season and I hope Rose, Noah, Jennings all stay healthy. As long as we show a team first mindset and don't resort to a rehash of Woody type isolation offense or start trying to figure out who is the alpha dog - I'll be pleasantly surprised. I do however worry it will descend into "I am not getting enough touches" type pouting again if we start to lose. Cohesion remains the other important question. I am not interested in being told how much "talent we have on paper". Anyone who follows basketball can see that. Whether these professionals have what it takes to come in and play with each other and not in spite of each other will determine our level of success.