How high are expectations for the revamped New York Knicks? New point guard Derrick Rose curiously said some people have put New York in the same "super team" class as the Golden State Warriors.
"With these teams right now, they're saying us and Golden State are the super teams, and they're trying not to build that many super teams, and [commissioner] Adam Silver came out with the statement and this and that," Rose said during a recent interview with NBA.com.
"And the expectations I think of us, we just want to win. Talking to [Carmelo Anthony] and all the guys who've been around. You've got Brandon [Jennings] who just signed for one year, he's got to show why he's there. I've got to show why I'm there. Joakim [Noah] has to show why he's there. Everybody's trying to prove themselves."
Rose added that expectations for the Knicks are "high" for the coming season, but he didn't specifically identify who has put the Knicks in the same class as the Warriors.
The comparison to Golden State, however, would be a clumsy one, considering the Warriors are coming off of a 73-win season, have reached back-to-back NBA Finals and signed free agent Kevin Durant this summer.
The Knicks, coming off of a 32-win season, added Rose, Noah, Jennings and Courtney Lee in the offseason. New York has an improved roster but likely not one that many would put in the same class as Golden State.
In addition to talking expectations for the Knicks, Rose said he's looking forward to his opportunity to play in the New York market. The former MVP has been limited to playing in just 40 percent of his games since the start of the 2013-14 season because of various ailments, including two significant knee injuries.
"I'm going into a great market," Rose said. "I'm going into a city where they love basketball -- basketball is a culture there, and they love players that play hard. And I think I fit that. ... I think this is a huge opportunity for me, and I'm preparing myself right now."
