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Rose wants to play pick-and-roll 'every time' amid triangle struggles

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports / Reuters

Forget the triangle offense: The New York Knicks' starting point guard has other plans.

Derrick Rose followed up a tepid debut wearing the blue and orange with some ideas as to how the Knicks could improve their offense. Instead of running the famed system popularized by Knicks president Phil Jackson, Rose favors a more modern approach.

"I want pick-and-roll every time down," Rose told Al Iannazzone of Newsday. "You see with Cleveland, they run pick-and-roll the entire game and (create) mismatches and closeouts, and them driving the ball and making someone else commit and pitching out for a three."

"That’s something we have to keep doing," he added.

After missing most of preseason attending his civil trial in California, Rose looked rusty, but ultimately capable in his Knicks debut. He scored 17 points on 7-of-17 shooting but posted four turnovers to just one assist.

More to the point, the Knicks only managed 88 points on Tuesday in a 29-point loss to the reigning champions. The team shot 36.8 percent from the field and struggled to generate quality looks.

Part of that might just be unfamiliarity on the part of Rose. Save for the start of training camp back in September, Rose only had three practices between preseason and Tuesday's regular-season opener to learn head coach Jeff Hornacek's offense, which is meant to be an augmented version of the triangle with some elements of modern offense.

But another part is simply his disdain for the triangle offense. He called the system "foreign" and "complicated" in training camp, and once again he continues to rebel against Jackson's favored scheme.

Whatever the case, Rose will try to fight through it. But his preference is clear.

"In the triangle sometimes, you’re going to the corner," Rose said. "As the point guard, that’s tough sometimes going all the way to the corner and kind of waiting to see what they’re going to do on the initial side of the triangle. You have to wait for the ball to come back to you.

"I got to find a way. There’s no way around it. I got to find a way, and I’m going to find a way. That’s what being great is all about."

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