NBA Draft Prospects: A look at Memphis PG Derrick Rose

Memphis point guard Derrick Rose may be the best prospect in June's draft.  He has good size for a point guard, great speed, and he is an athletic freak.

At this point Rose’s downfall is poor shooting, with 68 percent from the charity stripe and about 31 percent from beyond the arc.  No one expects him to be much of a shooter for the NBA.  

As much as I hate to say someone is "the next" someone else, I do see a lot of Gary Payton in Derrick Rose.  He is bigger than most point guards and if he can develop a low post game, his NBA career will be much smoother.  

Rose is roughly 6'3’’ or 6'4’’ just like Payton, and has great vision.  He only averages about four assists per game, but that really is due to Memphis' offense.  They spread the ball around so much that it's often taken out of Rose's hands.  

Miami, Seattle, and New York seem most likely to take Rose from the bottom of the NBA standings.  The Memphis Grizzlies just drafted point guard Mike Conley, Jr. and the Timberwolves are set with Sebastian Telfair and Randy Foye.  

As a Timberwolves fan, I wouldn't be disappointed to see Rose play in Minneapolis.  But they would first need to move Foye or Telfair to make room for him.  

The Heat definitely need a new PG to run Pat Riley's offense.  Jason Williams, at 32, is only getting older, slower, and ever more inconsistent.  Back-up Chris Quinn doesn't seem to be the answer either, and someone needs to take the pressure off Wade and Marion on offense.  

If the Heat do get the number one pick overall, they will have a tough choice between Rose and Beasley—both immediate impact players.

I predict Derrick Rose will win ROY honors next season.  He won't have trouble with the transition from college to the NBA, and no one expects great things from his shooting so he will have time to develop that skill and all the physical tools he needs to be effective. 

Rose’s court vision is uncanny, especially in the open court.  

The Tigers suffered their first loss on Saturday, and now we’ll have a chance to see how Rose handles adversity.
 

The next prospect I will examine:  USC swingman O.J. Mayo.