'We've been seeing it': Memphis Grizzlies players react to Derrick Rose's preseason debut
Ziaire Williams already knew what several Memphis Grizzlies fans found out Sunday night: Derrick Rose still has some basketball left in the tank.
The moment it hit Williams was last week during practice, when Rose pulled out a shifty in-and-out crossover while being guarded by Williams that wowed the young defensive standout.
"We've been seeing it," Williams said. "When I say he's still so fast, bro, that burst is there. I'm sure it was probably faster 10 years ago, which is insane to think about. He's a talented player and a better person."
Rose showed more of that shiftiness Sunday night during the Grizzlies' 127-122 overtime win in the preseason opener against the Indiana Pacers. The former University of Memphis standout finished with 13 points, two assists and was 6-for-8 shooting.
Before he took an in-game dribble, the FedExForum crowd gave him the loudest ovation when the starting players were announced during warmups. It was the same during Saturday's open practice when the Grizzlies were introduced to the fans.
"It's still unreal," Rose told Bally Sports. "It still didn't hit me yet. I'm very blessed. I'm very grateful to be here, having this opportunity. And I'm always living in gratitude, so it's a reason why I came back."
It may be unreal to Rose, but the Grizzlies are expecting it to continue.
"He's probably going to get this everywhere," Jaren Jackson Jr. said. "I've kind of heard from other players from other teams that he's been on. He's Derrick Rose. I'm a fan, too."
With Marcus Smart and Ja Morant out, Rose started at point guard. The Grizzlies had players on minutes restrictions, and he played 13:36 in the first half but sat out the second. He was a team-high plus-6.
Two seasons ago with the New York Knicks, Rose averaged 12 points on 44.5% shooting. Last season, however, his role was greatly diminished, and he averaged a career-low 5.6 points, shooting 38.4% from the field in 27 games. But Rose mentioned last week during media day how being benched might have saved him some mileage.
That's partly why Grizzlies players are laughing at the notion that he doesn't have much left to offer on the floor.
"Y'all acting surprised," Bane said. " . . . Last year in New York, you know how the business goes, but the year before that, he was a real good player and helped them win a lot of games. We expect him to do the same for us."
Rose's potential emergence could be a key development for the Grizzlies. With Morant out the first 25 games of the regular season, Smart is expected to assume the primary ballhandling duties, but other players will have opportunities to be playmakers as the Grizzlies implement a new offense that creates position-less basketball. Having steady point guards will ease the transition.
When Smart and Morant return, they likely will be relied upon as the playmakers, but if Rose can show the same shiftiness that he displayed Sunday, he will help lengthen the Grizzlies' bench and point guard rotation.
"He's probably one of the best players to ever come through here," Bane said. "He is the best player, I mean, there's no doubt about it."
Preaseason game takeaways: Memphis Grizzlies test out some new lineups in preseason opening OT win against Pacers
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis Grizzlies see 'that burst is there' in Derrick Rose
