Derrick Rose thinks you think the Knicks are a ‘super team’
By Matt Couden
New York Knicks guard Derrick Rose recently spoke about his team being considered by some people a “super team” similar to the Golden State Warriors.
With the way the NBA offseason has gone, many teams went out and tried to stock up on premier talent in an effort to try to compete with the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers. Among them were the New York Knicks who added former NBA MVP Derrick Rose and his teammate from the Chicago Bulls, Joakim Noah, to a lineup that already featured superstar Carmelo Anthony and rising star rookie Kristaps Porzingis.
That quickly has made expectations higher for New York this coming season and Rose knows it. However, his recent comments about fans seeing the Knicks as a “super team” in the same class with the Golden State Warriors are more than a stretch. As many fans know, the Warriors were NBA champions two seasons ago, and would have been again this season if not for one of the greatest comebacks in NBA history, while the Knicks have been trying to elevate their status to at least contending for a lower playoff spot in the East.
Rose added to his interview sound bytes, “the expectations I think of us, we just want to win. Talking to [Carmelo Anthony] 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.”
While the Knicks have added plenty of talent and expectations may be higher, it’s rather absurd to call them a “super team” on the level of Golden State right now. The Warriors have shown their ability to contend and win the title. They added former MVP Kevin Durant during the offseason free agency battles, making them one of the biggest winners. The team now has Durant along with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, all of whom have been All-Stars.
The Knicks look decent on paper too, but it’s way too early to even consider them amongst the elite of the league, let alone the Eastern Conference. Rose has been injury-prone, and his former Bulls-now-Knicks teammate Noah sat out a lengthy portion of the past season due to injury. Carmelo Anthony is definitely one of the betters players in the league but hasn’t brought playoff success to New York.
Ironically, several other teams may be closer to “super team” status than New York right now. the reigning champions definitely can make a case for it, even if Kevin Love was MIA during the Finals. Rose’s former squad, the Chicago Bulls may even fare better than the Knicks now that they’ve added the experience of Dwyane Wade to the lineup to go with Jimmy Butler. The Boston Celtics have added Al Horford to an already talented lineup, while Dwight Howard is now part of an Atlanta Team full of unsung heroes.
While Rose may have only called his team “super” to talk up the expectations in New York, the term seems to be getting thrown around way too often and way too soon. Let’s check back in when the season is underway to see which teams are super and which need to re-check their egos.
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