Derrick Rose is a less creative Steve Francis with Jason Kidd's acceleration and defensive anticipation

1. Overview : Derrick Rose is similar to Steve Francis in build, style and athleticism. He has an explosive vertical and first step, combined with excellent strength, size and body control that enables him to get to the basket and finish. Also, though not quite built like a truck like Jason Kidd, Rose is a big kid who can truly fly up and down the court. Rose's athleticism enables him to sneak in for rebounds and take them down to the other end and finish, all at once. Derrick Rose's sole season at Memphis indicated that Rose's first instinct is to drive and score, rather than pass, and that he needs the ball to be effective. 2. Player specifics : Derrick Rose has an excellent dribble drive. He can crossover, hesitate, and he has that finishing power dribble that he takes before he takes off for the rim. When he is at the rim, he can contort, draw contact, and do whatever he has to to finish. I've noticed that as explosive and big as Rose is, he does not get enough separation to finish with a dunk in traffic. This usually indicates that there is wasted and telegraphed movement at the point of attack, and in Rose's case, his angle of attack in the halfcourt is slightly wider than optimal (too much East-West movement). Also, there is a longer than optimal lapse between stationary position and the attack, and gives the defense time to set up. Players like Steve Francis and Allen Iverson had almost no wasted movement when they made their move, even as college players. Derrick Rose must also work hard on his jumpshot. His mechanics are a little too tight, and slows down his release. Also, although he is compared to Jason Kidd, he has not shown much yet in terms of being a pure passer. He almost always looks for the shot first, and has not yet shown the ability to demoralize defenses with his passing. In transition is where Rose is at his best. He can really get up and down the court, and although he wastes motion in the halfcourt, he doesn't in transition. With defenders not set, Rose will finish with power almost everytime he gets his chance. What makes Derrick Rose so dangerous is his ability to ignite breaks by getting defensive rebounds or forcing turnovers, and this is where he reminds people of a young Jason Kidd. With his strength, size and quickness, Rose really has a chance to wreak havoc on opposing offenses. For career outlook and team fit, go to original article