Detroit’s sixth man continues to carry the load
The Pistons were fortunate to land the services of Derrick Rose this past summer. He’s emerged as one of the league’s best scoring options coming off of the bench, and coming into tonight’s match up is the averaging the most – yes the most amount of points as a reserve in franchise history for Detroit at 16.8 points per game.
The first half tonight was dominated offensively by both Rose and Andre Drummond. Drummond ended the first quarter with 13 points and 9 rebounds, and Rose ended the game with 24 points on 58.8 percent shooting.
The floor spacing was nearly as good as it’s been all season, which allowed Rose to create looks attacking the rim with ease. At the very most, one additional defender would be drawn to him because of how spacious the Pistons were in a half-court setting. He was once again saving Detroit on offense and keeping them in the game.
This isn’t new, he’s been doing it all season. This has warranted some concern from fans as although we all love to see him take over a game, some begin to worry about his durability down the stretch if he’s continuously forced to carry the load for the Pistons. Because he’s been forced to do this – his trade value has slowly increased.
Maybe that’s one of the better options Detroit has if this season doesn’t turn around. Rose has found himself in a less than fortuitous situation and could become highly coveted around the trade deadline. Fans on social media have often clamored that maybe he deserves to be in a better situation given the level he’s currently playing at.