Trade Scenario Number Two
Derrick Rose has been the best bench player in the NBA. He’s averaging 18 points and six assists in just over 25 minutes per game for the lowly Detroit Pistons, but he’s been even better on offense than his traditional stats suggest.
Rose is ranked ninth in the league in points scored out of isolation (1.20 ppp). Plus, he’s sixth in the NBA in points scored off of drives to the rim. Derrick Rose has regained most of the burst to the rack that he used pre-injury, to win an MVP Award with the Chicago Bulls.
Even though Rose is once again using his patented herky-jerky style to explode down the lane, he doesn’t play with tunnel vision. He’s tied with Rajon Rondo for 27th in the association in potential assists per game at 11.1.
Rose is never going to be an excellent defender, but he’s been a decent ballhawk this season, and overall the Pistons are 5.8 points better with Rose on the floor.
Derrick Rose is just the type of player the Lakers need off the bench. He’s instant offense and a considerable upgrade over Rajon Rondo because he has similar playmaking chops as the former Celtic, but with the ability to score that Rajon no longer has.
Many folks in LA don’t think the Lakers need to make a trade, even a small deal like this one. The Purple and Gold do have the best record in the Western Conference. I humbly disagree.
The Lakers need one more player on the roster who can get his own shot because every squad that ends up winning a title gets a massive contribution from a non-superstar.
Last year Pascal Siakam stepped up for the Raptors and averaged 19 points per game in the playoffs as Toronto won its first championship.
Andre Iguodala also played great for the Warriors in the playoffs helping Golden State get three titles, and he even won a Finals MVP Award.
The Lakers don’t have a guy outside of LeBron James and Anthony Davis who can step up in the playoffs and explode for 25 points in the second half to secure a win.
Some fans think Kyle Kuzma’s that guy, and who knows, maybe they are correct. Still, Kyle Kuzma’s been underwhelming the entire season. It would be shortsighted for Rob Pelinka to trust Kuzma at this point to execute in the playoffs against the Clippers and Bucks, two squads that can assert their will on defense against opposing players who lack the experience and ability to handle their physicality.
The Detroit Pistons are awful once again. Blake Griffin is out the rest of the season after suffering a knee injury, and Detroit is actively shopping Andre Drummond, for cap relief. The Pistons are starting another rebuild, so they want to tank.
Derrick Rose has played well enough to win a few games by himself, which is the last thing the Pistons want because they are looking to move up in the draft.
Additionally, if Detroit is looking to dump salary for a rebuild, than this Lakers deal makes sense because Jared Dudley, Troy Daniels, and T. Horton-Tucker are all on one-year contracts, they’ll be off the books once the season is over. At the same time, D. Rose’s agreement goes through next season.