The shrinking role of Jalen Rose is among the most sensitive issues Knicks president/coach Isiah Thomas must navigate as he tries to return harmony to a fractured locker room.
It is becoming increasingly clear Rose is not in Thomas’ plans for his 10-man rotation, unless camp standout Quentin Richardson is traded.
Another possibility, if Rose becomes disgruntled, is the team reaching a buyout on the $16.9 million left on his expiring contract.
However, Rose’s pact is a pawn at the trade deadline, even though Thomas said he won’t trade Rose because the club is no longer in adding-to-the-payroll mode.
It was hardly an endorsement for Rose when Thomas responded Saturday night after the Knicks’ last-second victory over the Sixers to a question Rose’s role. In what looked like an obligatory audition, Rose started, played the first nine minutes, did not take a shot and was benched the rest of the game. Rookie Mardy Collins started the second half at small forward.
“You really do need a 15man roster,” Thomas said.
“At some point in time every single guy on the roster will have his chance to contribute.
It’s a team game, not an individual game. The most important thing is at the end of the game you hear the music going and all the guys laughing and joking, going on the plane to the next city and trying to put on a good show.” Will Rose be laughing and joking after a series of DNPs?
He’s got a huge ego, and was insulted at questions in Charleston about possibly not playing.
Rose did not dress in Friday’s preseason opener, with a team official saying Thomas was saving him for a Philly start. “I’m an elder statesman on this team,” Rose said. “My role on this team is to be a solid contributor, fit in and win games. Do whatever Isiah asks me to do. It’s not up to Jalen to say it’s preseason, I need 40 minutes.” Thomas put a happy face on Rose’s benching.
“The game got kind of small and ratty,” Thomas said. “I just didn’t feel this was the game for him to play in. I have a lot respect for him. To have him play against some of their rookies, I didn’t think it would be appropriate.” Rose claimed a mutual decision was reached at halftime. “It was our choice,” Rose said. “We talked about it, something we discussed. Let him play the young guys.” And so he did, with Collins, the former Temple guard making a Philly homecoming, logging 22 minutes, shooting 1 of 5 but grabbing five boards. Thomas has a lot more invested in Collins than Rose, whose pickup last year Isiah has already put on Larry Brown.
Collins, the 29th pick, looks as though he’s headed for a season of garbage time. It’s unclear what he does specifically well. He’s not a good shooter, passer or penetrator. But he is big for a guard at 6-5 and can defend. He has no chance of cracking the four-guard rotation this season, however.
In this period of positive thinking, Thomas said, “Whenever we put Mardy in the basketball game, he has a very calming influence over the game. You don’t see it on the stat sheet. You give him the basketball and everybody goes, OK, everything is going to be alright. You can trust him.”
*
No longer playing the traditional PG role in Isiah’s antiBrown offense, Stephon Marbury has 26 points in two games but just one assist. “With five men passing, five men moving, it’s not one guy’s responsible for all the assists,” Thomas said. “It’s OK if we have five guys with three assists as opposed to one guy with 15.” … Thomas admitted he’s testing Eddy Curry on how long he can leave him out there in one stretch before diminishing returns. Curry played the game’s first 14 minutes Saturday. He finished with 25 points and 10 boards, making 10 of 13 baskets.
“That’s an all-star performance,” Thomas said.