Derrick Rose’s Stats Per Season: From Youngest MVP To Role Player

Derrick Rose is entering his 16th season in the NBA in 2023-24. It will be his first year with the Memphis Grizzlies, as Rose signed a two-year, $6.5 million contract with the Grizzlies in July after playing for the New York Knicks last season.  

Rose said at Grizzlies media day that he reached out to Ja Morant and Tee Morant about possibly joining the team. Morant will miss the first 25 games of this season, and the Grizzlies traded Tyus Jones to the Washington Wizards in the offseason. Adding Rose gives the Grizzlies a proven veteran who can score, pass, and mentor guys in the locker room.

Rose, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, has played for the Chicago Bulls, Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Detroit Pistons. The 35-year-old has career averages of 17.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.3 blocks. To see how the Chicago native accumulated those stats, let’s take a look at how Rose performed in his first 15 seasons in the NBA. 

2008-09 NBA Season

Stats: 16.8 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 6.3 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.2 BPG

Awards and achievements: Rookie of the Year, All-Rookie First Team

The Chicago Bulls drafted Derrick Rose with the first overall pick in the 2008 draft. Rose, who was born and raised in Chicago, was thrilled to be drafted by his hometown team. The city of Chicago was also excited to have one of its own come back home. 

Rose appeared in 81 games during his rookie season. He averaged 16.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 6.3 assists while shooting 47.5% from the field, 22.2% from beyond the arc, and 78.8% from the free-throw line. Rose recorded eight double-doubles and scored at least 20 points 32 times. 

Rose won the 2009 Rookie of the Year Award and made the All-Rookie First Team. The Bulls went 41-41 in the regular season and faced the Boston Celtics in the first round of the 2009 playoffs. In Game 1 of the Celtics series, Rose put up 36 points and 11 assists on the road, helping Chicago win in overtime. 

The Bulls-Celtics series was epic. It went seven games, with Boston winning Game 7 at home. Rose finished the series averaging 19.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 6.4 assists. 

2009-10 NBA Season

Stats: 20.8 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 6.0 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.3 BPG

Awards and achievements: All-Star

After a stellar rookie season, Derrick Rose made a leap in his second season by averaging 20.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 6.0 assists in 78 games while shooting 48.9% from the field, 26.7% from beyond the arc and 76.6% from the free-throw line. Rose recorded six double-doubles and became the first Bulls player since Michael Jordan to make the All-Star team. 

Rose scored at least 20 points 44 times and put up at least 30 points eight times. The Chicago Bulls once again went 41-41 in the regular season. They faced LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the 2010 playoffs. 

Rose and the Bulls lost to LeBron and the Cavaliers in five games. For his part, Rose averaged 26.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 7.2 assists versus Cleveland. The explosive point guard led the 2010 playoffs in minutes per game (42.4).

2010-11 NBA Season

Stats: 25.0 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 7.7 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.6 BPG

Awards and achievements: MVP, All-Star, All-NBA First Team

The 2010-11 season was a magical campaign for Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls. Not only did Chicago have the best record in the NBA, but Rose also won the MVP Award, becoming the youngest player in NBA history to win the prestigious award. 

Rose played in 81 games during his MVP year. He averaged 25.0 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 7.7 assists while shooting 44.5% from the field, 33.2% from beyond the arc, and 85.8% from the free-throw line. Rose recorded 23 double-doubles and one triple-double. He was the only player in the league to rank top 10 in points per game and assists per game. 

Rose scored 42 points versus the San Antonio Spurs and Indiana Pacers during the regular season. He was the best player in the NBA and guided the Bulls to the 2011 Eastern Conference Finals. Chicago beat the Pacers and Atlanta Hawks to reach the conference finals for the first time since 1998. 

Unfortunately for Rose, LeBron James and the Miami Heat beat the Bulls in the 2011 Eastern Conference Finals in five games. Rose finished the 2011 playoffs with averages of 27.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 7.7 assists. 

2011-12 NBA Season

Stats: 21.8 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 7.9 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.7 BPG

Awards and achievements: All-Star

There were only 66 games in the 2011-12 lockout season. Derrick Rose, who signed a five-year, $94.3 million rookie-scale extension with the Chicago Bulls on December 21, 2011, appeared in 39 games. He missed a lot of games due to injuries. 

Rose averaged 21.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 7.9 assists while shooting 43.5% from the field, 31.2% from beyond the arc and 81.2% from the free-throw line. The Bulls went 50-16 and were the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference again. 

The Bulls faced the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the 2012 playoffs. Chicago won Game 1 by a final score of 103-91. However, Rose tore his left ACL near the end of the game and missed the rest of the 2012 playoffs. The Sixers beat the Bulls in six games and Rose was never a superstar again. 

2012-13 NBA Season

Stats, awards, and achievements: Derrick Rose missed the entire season

Derrick Rose didn’t play at all in 2012-13 due to the left ACL injury he suffered in the 2012 playoffs. The Memphis product never felt comfortable returning from his devastating injury. 

The Chicago media bashed Rose for not coming back since Bulls doctors cleared Rose to play. Some Bulls fans also turned on Rose for not playing. It was tough to see Chicagoans turn on one of their own. 

Without Rose, the Chicago Bulls went 45-37 in the regular season. They beat the Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the 2013 playoffs in seven games but lost to LeBron James and the Miami Heat in the second round in five games. 

2013-14 NBA Season

Stats: 15.9 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 4.3 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.1 BPG

Awards and achievements: None

Derrick Rose made his grand return to the NBA during the 2013-14 season after missing the entire 2012-13 campaign. However, the return was short-lived. 

Rose only played in 10 games. He tore his right medial meniscus on November 22, 2013, and missed the rest of the season after undergoing surgery. Rose averaged 15.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 4.3 assists in 2013-14 while shooting 35.4% from the field, 34.0% from beyond the arc and 84.4% from the free-throw line. 

The Chicago Bulls went 48-34 in 2013-14. Joakim Noah won the Defensive Player of the Year Award, but without Rose, Chicago lost to the Washington Wizards in the first round of the 2014 playoffs in five games. 

2014-15 NBA Season

Stats: 17.7 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 4.9 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.3 BPG

Awards and achievements: None

Derrick Rose played in 51 games for the Chicago Bulls during the 2014-15 season. He averaged 17.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 4.9 assists while shooting 40.5% from the field, 28.0% from beyond the arc, and 81.3% from the free-throw line. 

Rose tore his right medial meniscus again in February, but since he underwent a meniscectomy instead of a full repair, Rose was able to return to action in April. 

The Bulls went 50-32 in 2014-15 and beat the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the 2015 playoffs in six games. Chicago faced LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round and lost the series in six games. Rose never beat LeBron in the postseason during his run with the Bulls. 

Rose finished the 2015 playoffs with averages of 20.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 6.5 assists. He hit a game-winning shot at the buzzer in Game 3 versus the Cavaliers at home. 

2015-16 NBA Season

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuLAP5h73SU

Stats: 16.4 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 4.7 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.2 BPG

Awards and achievements: None

Derrick Rose’s bad luck with injuries continued in 2015-16. He suffered a left orbital fracture in training camp and underwent surgery. The former MVP, though, didn’t miss the start of the regular season. 

Rose appeared in 66 games in 2015-16. He averaged 16.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 4.7 assists while shooting 42.7% from the field, 29.3% from beyond the arc, and 79.3% from the free-throw line. 

The Chicago Bulls went only 42-40 in 2015-16 despite having Rose, Jimmy Butler, Pau Gasol, and Joakim Noah. They missed the playoffs for the first time in the Rose era, which ended in the summer of 2016 when Chicago traded Rose to the New York Knicks. 

2016-17 NBA Season

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDhWjpfxxAg

Stats: 18.0 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 4.4 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.3 BPG

Awards and achievements: None

Derrick Rose started 64 games for the New York Knicks in 2016-17. He changed his jersey number from No. 1 to No. 25. Rose wore No. 25 in high school at Simeon. The best players at Simeon were given No. 25, the number of Benji Wilson, who was a Chicago basketball legend. Wilson was tragically murdered in 1984 at the age of 17. 

Rose played well for the Knicks, averaging 18.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 4.4 assists while shooting 47.1% from the field, 21.7% from beyond the arc and 87.4% from the free-throw line. 

The injury bug, though, wouldn’t leave Rose alone, as the former Chicago Bulls superstar tore his left meniscus in April and underwent another surgery. The Knicks went 31-51 in 2016-17 and missed the playoffs. 

2017-18 NBA Season

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3idGpCKpGHc

Stats: 8.4 PPG, 1.4 RPG, 1.5 APG, 0.3 SPG, 0.2 BPG

Awards and achievements: None

Derrick Rose signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the summer of 2017 to play with LeBron James. The three-time All-Star played very well in the preseason. 

However, Rose suffered a serious left ankle injury in the second game of the season after Milwaukee Bucks center Greg Monroe took him out of the air. Rose badly sprained his ankle, so much so that he left the Cavaliers in November and thought about retiring from the NBA. 

Rose, though, didn’t retire and rejoined the Cavaliers in December. He made his return to the court in January but was traded to the Utah Jazz at the 2018 February trade deadline. The Jazz waived Rose, and suddenly, the youngest MVP in NBA history was out of a job. 

After being out of the NBA for nearly a month, Rose signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves for the rest of the 2017-18 season and played well in the 2018 playoffs. While Minnesota lost to the Houston Rockets in the first round of the 2018 postseason in five games, Rose averaged 14.2 points while shooting a staggering 70.0% from beyond the arc in the five-game series. 

 2018-19 NBA Season

Stats: 18.0 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 4.3 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.2 BPG

Awards and achievements: None

Derrick Rose re-signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves in the summer of 2018 and had a terrific 2018-19 season. He averaged 18.0 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 4.3 assists while shooting 48.2% from the field, 37.0% from beyond the arc, and 85.6% from the free-throw line. 

Rose had the game of his life on Halloween, scoring a career-high 50 points versus the Utah Jazz (the team that waived him). After the game, Rose was very emotional and cried. After undergoing so many surgeries and being out of the NBA, Rose was back in a big way. 

The Timberwolves went only 36-46 in 2018-19 and missed the playoffs. However, Rose proved to his critics that he was back to being a productive NBA player. 

2019-20 NBA Season

Stats: 18.1 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 5.6 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.3 BPG

Awards and achievements: None

Derrick Rose signed with the Detroit Pistons in the summer of 2019 and continued his NBA resurgence. The Windy City Assassin averaged 18.1 points, 2.4 rebounds and 5.6 assists in 50 games while shooting 49.0% from the field, 30.6% from beyond the arc, and 87.1% from the free-throw line.

Rose led the Pistons in points per game. He scored at least 20 points 26 times and put up at least 30 points twice before the season was shut down due to COVID-19. 

The Pistons were only 20-46 when the season was shut down, so they weren’t invited to the Walt Disney World bubble. 

2020-21 NBA Season

Stats: 14.7 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 4.2 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.4 BPG

Awards and achievements: None

Derrick Rose began the 2020-21 season with the Detroit Pistons. He requested a trade since Detroit was in rebuild mode. The Pistons sent Rose to the New York Knicks, where the guard was reunited with Tom Thibodeau for a third time. 

Rose was excellent with the Knicks. He averaged 14.9 points and 4.2 assists in 35 games while shooting 48.7% from the field, 41.1% from beyond the arc and 88.3% from the free-throw line. Rose was so good with the Knicks that he finished third in the Sixth Man of the Year voting. 

The Knicks went 41-31 in 2020-21 and faced the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the 2021 playoffs. Rose led New York in points per game in the Hawks series. D-Rose averaged 19.4 points and 5.0 assists while shooting 47.6% from the field, 47.1% from beyond the arc, and a perfect 100.0% from the free-throw line. 

Rose’s heroics weren’t enough to help the Knicks, though, as the Hawks won the series in five games. 

2021-22 NBA Season

Stats: 12.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 4.0 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.5 BPG

Awards and achievements: None

Derrick Rose signed a three-year, $43 million contract with the New York Knicks in the summer of 2021. The 2008-09 Rookie of the Year wasn’t able to stay healthy in 2021-22, though, as he underwent two surgeries on his right ankle. He had the first surgery in December and was supposed to come back in a few weeks. 

However, Rose had to have a second surgery in February after contracting a skin infection. He didn’t come back after the second surgery, finishing the 2021-22 campaign with averages of 12.0 points and 4.0 assists while shooting 44.5% from the field, 40.2% from beyond the arc and 96.8% from the free-throw line. 

The Knicks went 37-45 in 2021-22 and missed the playoffs. They struggled to win games without Rose. 

2022-23 NBA Season

Stats: 5.6 PPG, 1.5 RPG, 1.7 APG, 0.3 SPG, 0.2 BPG

Awards and achievements: None

Derrick Rose only played in 27 games for the New York Knicks last season. He was removed from the rotation in December. Rose finished the season with averages of 5.6 points and 1.7 assists while shooting 38.4% from the field, 30.2% from beyond the arc and 91.7% from the free-throw line. 

The Knicks went 47-35 in 2022-23. They beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the 2023 playoffs in five games but lost to the Miami Heat in the second round in six games. 

New York declined Rose’s 2023-24 team option, making the guard an unrestricted free agent. 

What’s Next For Derrick Rose?

Derrick Rose started for the Memphis Grizzlies in the team’s preseason opener versus the Indiana Pacers since Ja Morant and Marcus Smart were out, and the former MVP played very well. Rose finished with 13 points in 14 minutes while shooting 6-of-8 from the field and 1-of-1 from 3.

After the game, Grizzlies players Ziaire Williams, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Desmond Bane talked about Rose.

“We’ve been seeing it,” Williams said, via Grizzlies reporter Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. “When I say he’s still so fast, bro, that burst is there. I’m sure it was probably faster 10 years ago, which is insane to think about. He’s a talented player and a better person.”

Rose received the loudest ovation from the Grizzlies crowd during pregame introductions. The former Chicago Bulls point guard played one season at The University of Memphis in 2008 and led the team to the championship game.

“It’s still unreal,” Rose told Bally Sports about being back in Memphis. “It still didn’t hit me yet. I’m very blessed. I’m very grateful to be here, having this opportunity. And I’m always living in gratitude, so it’s a reason why I came back.”

Morant can learn a thing or two from Rose, who was the most athletic point guard in the NBA before tearing his ACL in the 2012 playoffs.

“He’s probably going to get this everywhere,” Jackson Jr. said. “I’ve kind of heard from other players from other teams that he’s been on. He’s Derrick Rose. I’m a fan, too.”

Bane added: “Y’all acting surprised. Last year in New York, you know how the business goes, but the year before that, he was a real good player and helped them win a lot of games. We expect him to do the same for us.”

Rose is expected to play a big role with the Grizzlies while Morant is out. It will be fascinating to see what stats Rose puts up in 2023-24.