Despite his early-season injury, the reclamation project narrative around Derrick Rose and the Cleveland Cavaliers is undoubtedly strong. Rose jumped into the starting lineup as a point guard thanks to Isaiah Thomas’s lingering hip injury, and he played well in that role until he himself got hurt.
SB Nation published a piece about Rose on Friday that included some very introspective quotes from the former league MVP. It’s been a long journey for Rose after a wayward season in New York with the Knicks, and he lauded the “freedom” he’s been given in Cleveland to create offensively thus far.
But most importantly, it just sounds like Rose is trying to find a way forward. In more ways than one.
“Everybody’s searching for happiness and I think that’s where I’m at right now,” Rose said. “I’m in a great space mentally, physically, and emotionally, and spiritually. So right now I’m just trying to gauge that, learn every day and be mindful of where I’m at right now.”
Rose also praised playing with LeBron James, which is something anyone except Kyrie Irving would do, I suppose. But it sounds like he’s truly thankful that the Cavaliers gave him the opportunity this year.
“He’s somebody you can learn from every day, takes the game very serious,” Rose told SB Nation. “He’s professional and, come on man, it’s like a blessing being here.”
A number of people in Cleveland, including J.R. Smith, can’t believe the Cavs were given the chance to acquire someone like Rose for so little. There are a lot of kind words going around in Cleveland. If everyone gets healthy there, it could be a lot of fun to see those good vibes at work.
