Grizzlies See Major Impact From Derrick Rose Before Season

The Memphis Grizzlies will need players to step up in the early portion of the season with point guard Ja Morant away from the team. Morant will miss the first 25 games of the season because of a suspension handed down from the NBA for conduct detrimental to the league.

The Grizzlies acquired Marcus Smart this offseason from the Boston Celtics in a three-team trade that also included the Washington Wizards. Stellar backup point guard Tyus Jones was included in the deal, which will put pressure on Smart to run this offense in Morant’s place.

He will be receiving help, as Desmond Bane showed an expanded skill set last season and will be handling the ball some as well. Another player that will assuredly be chipping in is veteran, Derrick Rose.

Rose landed in Memphis this offseason as a free agent after the New York Knicks didn’t pick up his player option for the 2023-24 season. Based on how things unfolded in New York last season, it would have been fair for many people to assume that the former MVP had run out of gas. But, that has been disproven with the Grizzlies.

Rose showed that he still has something left to offer during the team’s preseason opener against the Indiana Pacers. He scored 13 points with two assists in 13 minutes as the Grizzlies won 127-122 in overtime.

One player who learned right away that Rose still had plenty to offer was Zaire Williams. During practice last week, Rose hit him with an impressive dribble-move that awed the young standout defender.

“We’ve been seeing it,” Williams said. “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.”

Signing with the Grizzlies is a homecoming of sorts for Rose, who played collegiately at Memphis. His basketball career has taken plenty of twists and turns to return there, but he is grateful for it all.

“It’s still unreal,” Rose told Bally Sports. “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.”

The Grizzlies are certainly hoping the kind of performance Rose provided against the Pacers is one that he can do consistently once the regular season rolls around. Whether it is coming off the bench or in the starting lineup, as he was in the opener against Indiana, the Grizzlies are going to be relying on Rose to produce for them as a leader in the backcourt.