Taking the Harda-way
With the frantic NBA trade deadline passing just last week on February 8 different NBA teams made some business decisions to send players in different directions for a better future for their team as the playoffs slowly creep up. On February 8, the Cleveland Cavaliers saw their selves electing to send off the youngest MVP in NBA history-Derrick Rose. In a 3 team trade, the Cavaliers sent Jae Crowder and Derrick Rose to the Utah Jazz and the Cavaliers received George Hill and Rodney Hood. The Sacramento Kings also received Iman Shumpert and a 2020 draft pick from Cleveland as part of the 3 team trade.
We are now seeing the actual worth of Derrick Rose. Not even 2 days after he was traded the Utah Jazz waived the once extremely athletic point guard. Rose has been on the move for the past 3 NBA seasons. This is the 3rd team Derrick Rose has been on since 2016. It is pretty obvious why Rose has been on the move. In the 2011 NBA playoffs, Rose tore his ACL and since then has not been the same player. This would not be the end of his injury-plagued career. Rose would experience more period of absences due to more knee injuries. Rose even took time off in his recent stint with the Cavaliers to think about his future in the NBA because the injuries he has experienced.
Since we are seeing the flashes of greatness leaving Rose, we can look at Rose and start comparing him to other NBA superstars. If it is one player who we see with the same playing style as Derrick Rose it is someone who actually played his last season at the same time when Derrick Rose came into the NBA. They went to the same college, that being the University of Memphis. They wore the same jersey number. Not too sure who it is yet? They also averaged around the same numbers in the NBA with around 15 PPG, 4 RPG, 5 APG, and 1 STPG. Still can’t seem to guess? It is Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway. I maybe teased it a little bit in the title.
Very different in size, Penny Hardaway was a 6’7 guard and Derrick Rose is a 6’3 guard. Still have similar playing styles and careers. The ability of these two to finish strong at the basket with an array of dribble moves and ability to make some flashy passes made them arguably the best players in the league during their prime. Their basketball resumes show it. Derrick Rose became the youngest NBA MVP to this day, was ROTY in the 2008-09 NBA season and made some big playoffs moments for the Chicago Bulls. Penny Hardaway took the Orlando Magic to the NBA Finals in his second season after beating Michael Jordan but failed to win the NBA Finals. Hardaway also made a decent amount of All-NBA teams because of his stellar play.
What links the two players more than anything is the potential they had that was wiped out because of injuries. These two were once able to play great basketball against the top competition in the NBA but soon found themselves searching for their position in the NBA once the injuries halted their careers. You would think what if for these two if they were able to stay healthy their whole careers in the NBA. A championship ring? More accolades? More team accomplishments? A greater legacy?
