Should The Knicks Try To Pry De'Aaron Fox From Sacramento?

A look at how the Knicks can withstand D Rose's injury, and if NY might offer a king's ransom to get their hands on D Fox...

"A rose by any other name…" - Juliet Capulet

Between the long losing streaks and a roster decimated by Covid-19, the last month of the Knicks 2021-22 season has been a Shakespearean tragedy of sorts. 

The script took another somber turn Wednesday night when we learned that Derrick Rose had undergone right ankle surgery. The Knicks press release stated Rose would be re-evaluated in eight weeks. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski was a bit more encouraging, reporting "there's optimism Rose's return… could be closer to a six-week timetable."

Nonetheless, even in a best-case scenario, it looks like New York will be without one of their most consistent and effective players for at least a month and a half. However, if we want to look at the glass half full, it could be pointed out that Rose's production had tailed off of late. After posting the best plus/minus on the team (and one of the best +/- numbers in the entire league) over the first month of the season, the Knicks have actually been outscored by 39 points with Rose on the floor over the last dozen games he appeared in.

Additionally, Thibodeau was about to be forced into some very difficult decisions regarding the roster. Kemba Walker has played well since being reinserted into the starting lineup. Rookie PG Deuce McBride, playing the first meaningful, extended minutes of his young career in last Thursday's victory over the Rockets, poured in 15 points (on 6-of-11 shooting) and dished out nine assists (vs. zero turnovers) to go along with four steals, three boards and two triples. Meanwhile, Immanuel Quickley's improvement, especially on the defensive end, has been quite encouraging. IQ has actually overtaken Rose as the team leader in individual net rating (+116) this season. (Interesting factoid: Quickly is one of just three players in the league on a losing team to have recorded a plus/minus of above +115 this season.)

Rose's subtraction allows Thibs to keep Kemba in the mix while also adding IQ back into the rotation, and possibly finding consistent minutes for McBride as well. One of the 2021-22 Knicks' greatest strengths is the impressive depth on their roster. Some teams experience a massive drop-off when reserves check in to replace starters. As we know, that has not been the case in NY this season. If anything, fans have pleaded for Thibs to lean on his bench more heavily. Well, that depth will be put to the test with Rose out for the foreseeable future and the omicron variant seemingly lurking around every corner.