Derrick Rose: The Detroit Pistons MVP this season

The Detroit Pistons came up incredibly short of their preseason expectations, but found consistency in one of their most lethal scoring options.

When the news broke that the Detroit Pistons were front runners to land the services of Derrick Rose, the fan base went into a frenzy. Whether you considered yourself a life long fan of his or simply just respected his game, it was clear that this was a great move.

With uncertainty looming in regard to Ish Smith potentially re-signing in Detroit, they were going to have to exhaust all of their options. As soon as free agency hit, Rose felt like a home run option.

Despite the injuries that have plagued his career, Pistons fans felt confident with a one-two punch consisting of he and Reggie Jackson. His time in Minnesota showed us that he was more than capable of playing at a near-elite level when utilized properly.

Once the season began and it was apparent that Detroit was going to struggle with injuries all year long, Rose was always there to step up for rotations that needed it most.

He was put on a minutes restriction in order to preserve his longevity, and although the Pistons didn’t come close to making the playoffs, this was still a good decision.

Rose’s impact was immeasurable throughout the season, and on a nightly basis he’d show flashes of his former MVP self. One of the more memorable moments of the Pistons’ season came in December against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Rose took the ball in his hands in the final possession of the game, matched up with one of the best on-ball defenders in the entire league in Jrue Holiday, drove left, spun right, and pulled up for the game winning shot.

Ball game. 

Right between the eyes, Rose provided a moment of relief for a season that was going downhill quick. He ended the night with 21 points and 7 assists on 52.9 percent shooting.

One thing that always felt like it would create a bigger issue than it ever did was his predictability. If Detroit needed a bucket, (like they did against the Pelicans) everyone on the floor would clear out to one side and let Rose isolate.

Sometimes the opposition would send a double team, sometimes they wouldn’t. More often than not though, Rose got the shot he was looking for.

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An underrated part of why he’d be considered the MVP for the Pistons this season is the fact that he actually wanted to stay here. When the trade deadline arrived he could have easily asked to be moved to a contending team, but he didn’t.

A big reason for this could likely be a selfish one, in that he recognized the situation that he was in, understood he was thriving in his role, and wanted to continue playing the best basketball that he can play.

Honestly, that’s totally fine. It’s exactly what gave Vince Carter such tremendous longevity with his career. Putting yourself in the best basketball situation possible even if it means you may play for a bottom of the barrel team.

So while he could have left, he specifically asked not to be moved.

Rose spent the next few weeks of the season being the scoring option for Detroit as the team dealt with trades, injuries, and buyouts. As lineups began to look more and more peculiar, Rose was the consistent piece for that kept the ball rolling.

Even if they weren’t winning, he was giving 110 percent effort on a nightly basis. He saw the floor better than he has in years, his first step to the basket was as quick as it’s been since his 2011 MVP, and he was a walking highlight.

He even received some attention as a possible All-Star candidate, but ultimately didn’t make the cut.

Before the NBA season was suspended, Rose was averaging 18.1 points and 5.6 assists per game on 49.0 percent shooting. He also hit a second game winning shot against the Phoenix Suns, finishing the night with 31 points.

If you needed a bucket, you went to Rose. The quintessential embodiment of consistency.

With one more year remaining on his contract, fans should expect to see the same energetic iteration of him that we saw this season. There was truly no one on the team who was more fun to watch this season than he was.