| Detroit Free Press
Detroit Pistons’ Dwane Casey explains how the team stays competitive
Detroit PIstons coach Dwane Casey talks Jan. 26, 2021, about the youth of his team, the aggression of Delon Wright and Wayne Ellington’s influence.
Detroit Pistons
Derrick Rose’s name is popping up in trade rumors, right as the veteran guard is set to return to the court for the Detroit Pistons.
Rose is likely to play in Wednesday’s road game against the Cleveland Cavaliers after missing two games with left knee soreness. He didn’t appear on the NBA’s 5:30 p.m. injury report Monday.
“He practiced today, so we’ll see how he feels tomorrow,” head coach Dwane Casey said. “It wasn’t anything structural or anything serious with his knee, it’s more precautionary. I don’t see any reason why he wouldn’t be ready to play tomorrow night.”
It appeared Derrick Rose was hitting his stride before being sat. He had scored 20-plus points in two of his last four games, while shooting 49% overall during the stretch.
Rose’s return Wednesday will coincide with his name appearing in the rumor mill for the first time this season. The Athletic NBA writer Shams Charania reported the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Clippers are interested in trading for Rose, who is on an expiring contract worth close to $7.7 million this season.
A Knicks trade would reunite him with Tom Thibodeau, who coached Rose with the Chicago Bulls from 2010-15. The New York Post reported that Thibodeau is pushing for a reunion, but have taken place between the Pistons and Knicks yet.
Rose has missed five games this season, his last four being because of left knee soreness, but Casey has said the Pistons are simply using caution. Because of his injury history, Rose is also on a minutes restriction (23.8 per game), but is Detroit’s second-leading with 14.8 points while dishing 4.6 assists.
Blake Griffin will miss Wednesday’s game against the Cavaliers due to injury management. It’s the first game of a road-home back-to-back, and the Pistons will host the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday.
It will be the fourth time this season Griffin will miss the first or back half of a back-to-back set, as the Pistons continue to ease him back into playing a year after he underwent knee surgery. He went nearly a year between live NBA games coming into the 2020-21 season.
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