Memphis Grizzlies signing Derrick Rose: prophetic, imperfectly perfect

The Memphis Grizzlies signed former Tiger great Derrick Rose to a 2-year, $6.5M deal. What can the veteran bring to this team?

The Memphis Grizzles signed Derrick Rose to a 2-year deal over the weekend, and it feels prophetic.

Former Memphis Tiger at the twilight of his career coming back to become a Memphis Grizzly. On the same team as the next generation version of his MVP self. For a squad that’s vying for a championship and needs veterans in the locker room.

Nostalgia and basketball zeitgeist aside, it’s a solid pickup for the Grizzlies — as there are worse ways to fill the last roster spot. It accomplished their goal of adding more veterans — and perhaps building guard depth outside Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, Marcus Smart, and Luke Kennard.

There are questions with Rose. For one, how much does he have left in the tank? His injury history is well-documented, as knee injuries derailed his prime — one on an all-timer trajectory. He’s played less than 60 games the past 2 years; however, it was more for a preference for Thibs to play young guys like Immanuel Quickley and Miles McBride rather than Rose’s healthy. Regardless, given his age, the miles on his body, and his health history, it’s fair to ask how much he could add on the floor.

The next question would be about the areas in which he could help them on the floor.. He has never been much of a shooter, but he’s connected on 37.3% of his 3’s on 2.8 attempts per game over the past 3 seasons — though if you expand to past 4 campaigns, half of them are 30 percent.

Rose doesn’t apply as much pressure at the rim at his older age, but he’s capable of getting downhill to draw drive-and-kick situations — 12.1% drive assist rate, 81st percentile per The B-Ball Index. He won’t add much defensively at this stage of his career, and you hope he could be passable in a system that’s proven to be elite the past few years.

Nonetheless, despite on-court concerns, his fit is clear. He’ll be the backup point guard for the first 25 games of the season. I don’t see the role sticking past the Morant suspension, as Marcus Smart will likely run the offense while Ja sits. Rose will likely play in the event 1 of Ja and Smart are out. At the very least, he should be a serviceable table-setter for 15 minutes, with the infrequent scoring pop.

Rose’s value is going to hold in the locker room. For months, national pundits and former players have told this team to grow up, and that they need veterans in the locker room. Zach Kleiman even acknowledged the need for veterans with a “tripling down on youth” comment in exit interviews. The Grizzlies are bringing in a 16-year veteran whose battled through and moved past a lot in his career — yes, one was self-inflicted. Rose is the presence that can help this locker room, but specifically Ja Morant — a player often compared to “MVP Rose,” and is at a storm in his career where he need guidance out of it. Can the addition of Derrick Rose help? We’ll see, but it’s promising given Morant’s outspoken respect for Rose.

Nonetheless, the Grizzlies are sticking to their word of adding more veterans in the locker room. Derrick Rose isn’t the perfect player at this stage of his career, but the aura and impact are different than anyone else they could’ve brought in. Memphis fans are still captivated with him to this day because of his run with the Tigers in 2008, and the first time he checks into a game as a Grizzly in the FedExForum might be electric. He’s also a perfect presence for the team’s locker room, another veteran player that can help this team on their trek towards a NBA championship.

If you choose to support my Substack, SubTsakalidis — aka “SubTsak” — follow this link to my Allie’s Allies St. Jude fundraiser page. If you choose to subscribe, all proceeds will go towards St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.