That's coming off an impressive playoff showing where he averaged 14 points in only 24 minutes off the bench, and looked great doing it:
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I've been down on Rose for many years now, but I'm starting to become a little intrigued by him again. At 30, he still could have several productive years ahead of him. His early preseason play even has Karl Anthony Towns excited:
"He was fabulous. Derrick showed a lot of prime Rose. The Rose everyone loves. Very aggressive, making the tough plays and pushing the tempo. ... For me personally on the court I saw a lot of glimpses of MVP D-Rose."
Taj is even starting to notice difference in Rose:
“I see him just coming in, getting his lifts in, things in the past I didn’t really notice too well his first couple years, because he was just young and athletic,” Gibson said. “When you get older and have been in the league 10-plus (years), you have to adjust, stay in the weight room, monitor your body, stay on top of yourself, stay in shape, eat right. Those things Derrick has been doing. You can tell. I’m following his lead after practice.”
With all this said, what kind of season are you expecting from Rose? It wasn't too long ago that he was putting up 18 a game, which seems like a reasonable goal. Is he at a point in his recovery where he could compete for Most Improved Player?