Fansided

Minnesota Timberwolves interested in Derrick Rose return at expense of younger players

By Brad Berreman

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - APRIL 21: Derrick Rose #25 of the Minnesota Timberwolves drives to the basket against the Houston Rockets in Game Three of Round One of the 2018 NBA Playoffs on April 21, 2018 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Timberwolves defeated 121-105. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - APRIL 21: Derrick Rose #25 of the Minnesota Timberwolves drives to the basket against the Houston Rockets in Game Three of Round One of the 2018 NBA Playoffs on April 21, 2018 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Timberwolves defeated 121-105. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /
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Tom Thibodeau values players he trusts, but the idea of re-signing Derrick Rose at another player’s expense is foolishness to an extreme degree.

By all accounts, the 2017-18 season will go down as a success for the Minnesota Timberwolves. A 16-win improvement and the end of a long playoff drought is enough to qualify as that. But there are cracks in the surface, and Tom Thibodeau is the last man standing around the NBA in a dual role as head coach and lead executive without someone else who has equal input.

Thibodeau’s reliance on his starters is legendary and infamous, and he also values players he trusts. The draft night trade for Jimmy Butler and the free agent signing of Taj Gibson brought two former Chicago Bulls to Minnesota last offseason, and they look to be the last two functional players left from Thibodeau’s tenure in Chicago.

But eventually, after he lingered available for a while, the Timberwolves signed guard Derrick Rose in March. Over nine regular season games with Minnesota, he averaged 5.8 points and 1.2 assists per game before getting more extended run in five playoff games and actually making a solid contribution (14.2 points and 2.6 assists per game; 50.9 percent from the floor).

The Timberwolves don’t have a lot of room to make moves this offseason unless they are able to somehow trade Andrew Wiggins. So finding some bargains to fill out the rest of the roster will be necessary, and Rose could be one.

According to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic, the Timberwolves are interesting in re-signing Rose. But the idea would come at the expense of Tyus Jones’ playing time, and Krawczynski points to trading the Most Outstanding Player of the 2015 Final Four as a solution to that.

There are still questions about Jones as a starting-caliber NBA point guard, particularly on the defensive end of the floor. But he made 11 starts this past season, averaging 9.4 points, 4.9 assists and 2.5 rebounds per game in those contests. He also topped 10 points per-36 minutes this year, while accounting for 3.6 Win Shares.

Rose’s presence did not hurt Jones’ playing time all that much at the end of the regular season. The Duke product averaged 17.6 minutes per game when Rose was on the roster and 18 minutes per game when the former league MVP was not on the team this season.

But in the playoffs, Jones barely got off the bench, averaging 13.8 minutes per game with one DNP in the five games against the Houston Rockets. Rose was playing well, but the shooting display he put on in the playoffs reeks of an aberration, and he always seems to have one foot out the door in terms of commitment to play.

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Thibodeau has no one to check him on personnel moves, with general manager Scott Layden coming off as mostly a yes-man. So if Rose is wanted and the price is right it will be done, in a short-sighted move to add another “Thibs guy.” Meanwhile, Jones will be traded and have a better chance to become whatever he will become elsewhere.

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