Derrick Rose is back in the NBA with the Minnesota Timberwolves, but Charles Barkley said his career is all but “over.” The guard officially signed with the Wolves on Thursday, reuniting with his former Chicago Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau in Minnesota.
At age 29, Rose has had a rough season despite what was supposed to be a resurgence for the guard. He signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers on a roster that, much thanks to him, felt old and slow. Rose left the Cavaliers in November to reevaluate his career after yet another injury, and though he did come back he was soon traded and subsequently released at the deadline.
Signing with Minnesota is yet another chance for him to catch on and find a bit of the game he once had in Chicago. But Barkley and Shaq discussed Rose’s career on Inside the NBA on Thursday night, and while both agreed he could be a useful locker room presence for a young Timberwolves team, they weren’t too keen on Rose actually helping much on the court.
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Shaq spoke candidly about being at the tail end of your career and seeing the writing on the wall.
“Charles has been there. I’ve been there,” Shaq said. “Unfortunately Derrick Rose is not the Derrick Rose of past. He’s at the end of his career.”
Barkley, however, went one step further.
“He can be a good locker room guy,” Barkley said. “Because they have a very young team, he can be good locker room guy. But listen, I like Derrick Rose but it’s over.”
It’s a strong statement, but one that isn’t much of a leap considering the evidence. Rose struggled this year, and has struggled for years, really. He’s appeared in just 16 games this year and averaged a career-low 9.8 points per game. A reunion with Thibs in Minnesota is a nice story, but few people expect he will be particularly productive up north.
