2007, Feb. 22: The Arizona Republic – A Rose’s Thorn
June 24, 2008
A Rose’s thorn
This was not what swingman Jalen Rose signed up for, but he knew what
he was getting into when he chose Phoenix over Miami as a free agent
earlier this season. He said it was his duty to research D’Antoni, and
he knew that he plays a rotation of seven to eight players, "the first
in the history of basketball" to do so, Rose. He just thought he would
be part of that after starting 45 games last season and averaging at
least 12 points for seven consecutive seasons.
Regardless, he said D’Antoni "is a great guy" and that winning a championship would make all the "DNPs" worth it.
"I’ve just got to be professional," Rose said. "This is an original
situation. The opportunity discussed and the opportunity presented are
two different arenas. If there is a silver lining besides winning, it’s
to be around a great bunch of guys."
He said "everybody in the world" asks him why he can’t crack the
rotation. His game speed seems to be the main reason. Instead, Rose is
senior manager at "The Fitness Club," the end-of-the-bench bunch.
Free throws
After former Suns star and current TNT analyst Charles Barkley
criticized D’Antoni’s short rotation and challenged him to use his
reserves more, D’Antoni said he wasn’t sure he should take basketball
advice from someone who "choked" away championships and had his own
playoff conditioning questioned.
