Former NBA MVP Derrick Rose's recent claims that the current New York Knicks squad is in the same class as the Golden State Warriors' super-team had raised a lot of eyebrows as he may also have put a lot of pressure on himself and his teammates entering their first season together.
The 27-year-old Rose, who had spent his entire seven seasons in the NBA so far with the Chicago Bulls, joined the Knicks last month via a trade that sent him, Justin Holiday, and a 2017 second-round pick to New York in exchange for José Calderón, Jerian Grant, and Robin Lopez. With that, he is believed to have formed a new Big Three at the Big Apple with perennial All-Star Carmelo Anthony and last season's rookie sensation Kristaps Porzingis.
His former Bulls teammate, Joakim Noah, and guards Courtney Lee and Brandon Jennings also joined Phil Jackson's revolution this summer, which is perhaps the reason why Rose was able to utter such claims.
The 2011 NBA MVP and three-time All-Star recently told reporters that along with the Warriors, people see them as the "super teams" next season and that NBA commissioner Adam Silver is "trying not to build that many super teams" after reports that the league is considering an amendment in the CBA to pursue more competitive balance between teams.
"And the expectations I think of us, we just want to win. Talking to (Carmelo Anthony) and all the guys who've been around. You've got Brandon (Jennings) who just signed for one year, he's got to show why he's there. I've got to show why I'm there. Joakim (Noah) has to show why he's there. Everybody's trying to prove themselves," Rose said, via ESPN.
He then continued to say that expectations are "high" for his new squad also he did not particularly disclose the identity of the people who said they are at par with Golden State next season.
The New York Daily News' Frank Isola straightforwardly noted that "while most believe the Knicks have upgraded their roster since the end of last season no one is ready to put them in the same class of a Warriors team that features Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green".
Many of the team's critics are sighting the inability of Rose, Noah, and Jennings to stay healthy in a full 82-game season as the main reason why the Knicks are not expected to be a championship contender this coming season.
