Julius Randle On Derrick Rose: “I Would Say He’s A Much More Complete Player Now Than He Was As MVP.”

Derrick Rose is a highly beloved and respected player, but his story is one of the saddest in the league.

Not long after becoming the NBA’s youngest MVP, he suffered an ACL tear that triggered a downward spiral for his career.

And after missing countless games over the following years, Rose continued to persevere and remains a valuable player today.

In fact, with the Knicks, he’s proving to be among their most important players. And while many fans like to call his best games “vintage” performances, Knicks big man Julius Randle says he’s even better than he used to be.

(per Marc Berman of NY Post)

“It’s not vintage,’’ Randle said. “Look at the tape. Who he was as MVP and who he is now, I would say he’s a much more complete better player than he was then. It’s nothing really vintage about it. It’s evolved and become a much better player. Understanding of the game, clear mindset, he’s extremely wise, so it’s not really vintage, he’s evolving.’’

Through 9 games this season, Rose is averaging 12.7 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.9 assists on 46% shooting.

Those numbers are far from what they were during his prime, but one could argue his game is more polished now than it has ever been before.

As for how much longer we can expect Rose to keep this up, he says he’s in this for the long haul.

“I’m trying to Tom Brady this thing,” said Rose. “Play as long as possible. Make sure I really take care of my body. And while I’m playing, play with joy. I don’t have to score 30 points a night anymore to affect the game. I can come out and do what I gotta do. I got a great supporting cast with Ju everybody in the starting five, even the guys on the bench, we have a great rhythm so I just got to play my game and whatever the game presents, I have to be ready for it.”

You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who isn’t rooting for DRose to succeed. Despite the overwhelming challenges that he’s faced throughout his career, he has overcome them all through hard work and dedication to his craft.

And now, people are really starting to take notice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6E5CF58Qe0