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Memphis Grizzlies Welcome Derrick Rose as His NBA Journey Comes Full Circle

By Christian Dudley

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JANUARY 30: Derrick Rose #25 of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Luol Deng #9 of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Joakim Noah #55 of the Memphis Grizzlies, and Taj Gibson #67 of the Minnesota Timberwolves pose for a photo following the game on January 30, 2019 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JANUARY 30: Derrick Rose #25 of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Luol Deng #9 of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Joakim Noah #55 of the Memphis Grizzlies, and Taj Gibson #67 of the Minnesota Timberwolves pose for a photo following the game on January 30, 2019 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Memphis Grizzlies receive a visit from Derrick Rose and the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday. After many ups and downs, his NBA career has come full circle.

Derrick Rose will not be playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves when they visit the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday, but all the focus should remain on the three-time NBA All-Star in a return to the 901.

After playing just one season of college basketball at the University of Memphis prior to declaring for the NBA Draft in 2008, Rose is now in his 11th NBA season.

During Derrick’s first few seasons with the Chicago Bulls, he quickly rose to fame (no pun intended) in playing for his hometown team. He was the No. 1 overall pick in an above-average 2008 NBA Draft and turned the hype into Rookie of the Year accolades, earning it over the Memphis Grizzlies’ O.J. Mayo.

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Form there, it took him just two more years to become a league MVP. He was on top of the world. Derrick Rose and his Bulls were getting closer to becoming on top of the NBA. That was until injury would strike.

After tearing his ACL, which led to D-Rose missing the entire 2012-13 season, many hoops fans wondered if he would ever be the same. His game was built upon explosion and he had a knack for drawing contact on drives to the basket. With an inconsistent jump shot, could his scoring ability continue to compete with the best the NBA had to offer?

The answer appeared to be “no.” His statistics — including scoring and efficiency — began to dwindle. Derrick Rose also struggled with shaking the injury bug from his body, undergoing several knee surgeries and other operations in the middle years of this decade.

It was looking as if Rose would be a short-lived superstar in the NBA, especially as he was traded from the Chicago Bulls to the New York Knicks in the summer of 2016. Even today, you can say this marked the end of an era. Derrick brought Chicago its best days since Michael Jordan was in uniform for them.

Derrick Rose continued to make comeback attempts, but he clearly was not the same player. Since 2016, he has spent stints with the Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers, but his role remained reserve. His skill set demands the ball to be in his hands in order to make others around him better.

Memphis Grizzlies Derrick Rose
Derrick Rose drives against the Memphis Grizzlies (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) /

With limited minutes, Rose’s game could not flourish. Plus, the injuries. Derrick could not endure the grueling 82-game schedule. Following the 2012-13 season where he missed every game, D-Rose played in 10, 51, 66, 64, and 25 games (respectively) through the past five 82-game regular seasons.

Upon landing in Minnesota with the Timberwolves in 2018, it was indeed a new beginning for Derrick Rose, but so were those stints with the Knicks and Cavs. The biggest difference for the former league MVP? According to his current teammate Anthony Tolliver, “the biggest factor to his success is a healthy offseason and just being more healthy in general.”

Tolliver was an NBA rookie the same season as Rose, and though the 2018-19 season is the first one the two players have spent as teammates, they are familiar with one another. After all, it is not an easy task to amass an 11-season career in the NBA.

Additionally, Tolliver adds “his usage rating here is probably much higher than in Cleveland and some other places. He is very successful when he has the ball in his hands.”

The Timberwolves sharpshooter is absolutely correct to both points. Derrick Rose is on track to play in the fourth-most games of his NBA career, plus he is playing with the highest usage percentage (26.2%) since since three years ago. For comparison, his MVP season showcased a usage percentage of 32.2%.

In a season where the Timberwolves could have certainly folded considering all the early-season drama centered around Jimmy Butler, Derrick Rose carried the franchise in demonstrating All-Star-caliber performances once again.

One of the best stories of this season’s first half came in October via D-Rose dropping a whopping 50 points on 61.3% shooting in winning fashion versus the Utah Jazz. It was emotional for Derrick, his teammates, and NBA fans across the globe. This was bigger than basketball. This was a full-circle comeback from a player that had his body telling him “no” season after season.

Plus, off-court troubles tried to drag him out of the league, too. The 2018-19 season has also brought brighter days for Derrick in that aspect. Off the court, Anthony Tolliver describes the former MVP as “one of the coolest people you will ever meet. His personality has impressed me almost more than his on-court theatrics. His improved shooting has also been very impressive.”

Memphis Grizzlies Derrick Rose
Though sidelined, Derrick Rose returns to Memphis as Minnesota Timberwolves face Memphis Grizzlies (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Derrick Rose is back, and that is fact. Being in the locker room with him, playing on the floor simultaneously, and battling through the season alongside the University of Memphis product has given Tolliver tremendous insight into Rose’s triumphant return to success on the hardwood.

“I definitely never thought I would see this level of D-Rose ever again. Having that many major injuries is really tough on your body, but his dedication to getting back to elite level is really paying off,” states Tolliver.

Recently, Derrick Rose discussed how he believes he is a better player today than he was in his MVP days with Chicago. Initially, some hoops fans may think that sounds crazy. But honestly, it is not crazy at all. Watch his game in slow motion, and it makes much more sense.

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Anthony Tolliver describes it by saying “I wouldn’t say he’s more dangerous now, but he definitely is more efficient. Much better shooter and much more efficient with his movement. When he was MVP, he was so athletic that he was more unstoppable, especially in transition, but now he can shoot really well.”

This could not be more true of Rose. At the age of 30, he is posting career-highs in overall field goal shooting percentage (47.8%) and three-point percentage (41.1%). This is the first time he has owned a greater accuracy than 40% from beyond the arc. This has translated into boasting the third-highest Player Efficiency Rating (PER) of his career, too.

On Tuesday, though he will not be in the lineup, Derrick Rose lands in Memphis, Tennessee once again, where it all truly began for his national popularity. He may not be wearing a uniform of the Memphis Grizzlies, but he will forever hold a special place in the hearts and minds of Memphians. Here, he is a hoops legend.

The Minnesota Timberwolves and Memphis Grizzlies will play once again in late-March inside the Grindhouse, so Memphians may still see Derrick Rose in-person this season.

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A couple season ago, this was seemingly impossible. Some experts thought his NBA career was done. Over. But as 2018-19’s unofficial comeback player of the year, there should be no doubt that D-Rose will make many more trips to the Grindhouse in many seasons to come. The journey has come full-circle, and this Rose is living his best life minus all the thorns.

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