Derrick Rose is the latest ex-Knicks player to take a shot at his former team, saying he prefers playing for the Cavs much more than New York.
“There wasn’t no freedom [with the Knicks],” Rose told The New York Post prior to the Cavaliers' loss to the Nets Wednesday. “Here I got freedom."
The 29-year-old has been out for the last three games with an ankle injury, but in his two games on the court, he was slashing to the basket and making plays even if that hasn't manifested yet with a 30-point night.
Rose is averaging 13.5 points and three rebounds per game through two games with Cleveland. He attributes much of that to how his new coach is willing to let him improvise rather than making him play in the exact confines of a system, i.e the triangle offense last season with the Knicks.
“Coach Lue and the team have been doing a great job of letting me play the way that I want to play," Rose said. "So I can’t complain at all.”
Without Rose on the court in the last three games, the Cavaliers are 1-2, losing to the Nets and Magic. LeBron James has been manning the point guard spot for Cleveland in Rose's absence and he has been dominant, averaging 28.3 points and 9.3 assists.
However, James will more than welcome back Rose, who is one of the best guards in the league at getting to the basket even if he's not quite as good as when he broke into the league with the Bulls.
When he gets back to the court, Rose is looking forward to doing "whatever I want" in the Cavs' offense.
“That’s how I wanted to play last year,” Rose said. “But that never happened.”
