Derrick Rose Still Believes The 2016-17 New York Knicks Are A Superteam


The Golden State Warriors have the “superteam” entering the 2016-17 NBA season; however, Derrick Rose, who switched teams this offseason (via trade), also believes his New York Knicks are a superteam.

According to ESPN, Rose “expanded on those comments and explained that they stemmed from confidence in himself and his team.”

“I still believe that,” Rose said. “Like I said, with that Super Team term, you have to be very careful, I guess, if you’re in the United States. But I feel like if you’re in any team in the NBA — it don’t have to be the NBA, it could be the college level, high school level — you should believe in yourself and have the confidence in yourself that you’re playing on a super team anywhere. So I have a lot of confidence, and I’m not taking that back.”

[Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images]
Rose, believe it or not, is still only 27-years-old (he turns 28 on October 4). What this means is if he can stay healthy, he still has a very long career ahead of him. Folks can’t forget that Rose was deemed the best player in the NBA in 2011, as he was named the MVP.

For all it’s worth, he averaged 16.4 points, 4.7 assists, and 3.4 rebounds per game in 2015-16.

Concerning that superteam in New York, here’s who fans are looking at: Rose, Carmelo Anthony, and Joakim Noah. You can also add Kristaps Porzingis into the mix.

If you were to go back a few years, this lineup would without a doubt be considered a superteam. After all, Anthony is one of the best scorers in the league, Rose has won the MVP, and Noah is a beast on the defensive end (won Defensive Player of the Year in 2014).

Unfortunately, now the NBA has teams like the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Cavs have LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love. Of course, there is the Warriors, who added Kevin Durant to an already stacked team this offseason.

Nonetheless, Rose has serious confidence in himself and his new teammates, and there is nothing wrong with that. Speaking of his teammates, one would figure Rose would be one of the go-to guys in New York. As a result of him and Anthony taking a good amount of the shots, you would think second-year player Porzingis, who is coming off of a rookie season in which he averaged 14.3 PPG, 7.3 RPG, and 1.9 BPG, would take on a smaller role on the offensive side of the ball in 2016-17.

Well, according to ESPN, that doesn’t appear to be the case.

“We have more options on this team. With the Bulls, we had more options too but the offense really went through me and Jimmy [Butler],” Rose said. “With the Knicks, we have [Kristaps Porzingis], we have [Carmelo Anthony], we have [Joakim Noah] rolling to the rim. We’ve got Courtney [Lee].”

[Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images]
Nonetheless, it is evident that the Knicks have a pretty solid core. With that said, and although the Knicks will have a new look when they hit the court in the upcoming season, they finished with a record of 32-50 in 2015-16, which doesn’t exactly scream playoff team.

If Rose can revert to his MVP ways, then you never know. Until then, New York has a pretty solid team on paper.

Who could blame Rose for thinking he has a superteam on his hands? Melo and him alone are a fierce 1-2 punch on the offensive side of the ball. Plus, you can’t blame a player for having an endless amount of confidence, especially one who is as talented as Rose.

Here’s to Derrick Rose proving everyone wrong in the 2016-17 season, and here’s to the Knicks getting back on track in a big way.

[Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images]

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