Feb 19, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose (1) brings the ball up court against the Toronto Raptors during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

Knicks: Trainer Says No One Works Harder Than Brandon Jennings

Knicks: Trainer Says No One Works Harder Than Brandon Jennings by Maxwell Ogden

New York Knicks Are Willing To Sacrifice For Success

New York Knicks Are Willing To Sacrifice For Success by Maxwell Ogden

The single biggest question mark for the New York Knicks in 2016-17 will be the health of point guard Derrick Rose. Rose’s trainer isn’t concerned.

The New York Knicks are placing the weight of the franchise on Derrick Rose‘s surgically-repaired knees. Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis may be the stars of the organization, but Rose was acquired for a reason.

As skepticism rains down on Rose and the Knicks, his trainer has taken it upon himself to dispute the belief that Rose can’t stay healthy.

The Knicks traded point guards Jose Calderon and Jerian Grant, who were No. 1 and No. 2 on the depth chart in 2015-16, for Rose. New York also parted ways with center Robin Lopez, who was both a fan favorite and a valuable starter on an affordable deal.

According to Marc Berman of The New York Post, trainer Rob McClanaghan isn’t worried about Rose’s health.

“I’m not worried — he put in his work and time in,’’ McClanaghan said. “He listens to his body, which is important. Now he’s ready to make the extra jump out there. It’s been a solid six weeks. With the commitment and work he’s put in, he’s ready to have a great year. He’s excited about a fresh start.” “It’s the earliest we’ve started,’’ McClanaghan said. “Because it’s the first time he wasn’t in the playoffs.’’

That deserves a very small sigh of relief.

Over the past two years, Rose has done an excellent job of listening to his body and progressively working back to full-time status. He’s taken the necessary precautions, and the results have displayed his progress.

After playing a combined 10 games in 2012-13 and 2013-14, Rose was active for 51 games in 2014-15—plus 12 games in the playoffs—and 66 in 2015-16.

In 2015-16, Rose was wildly inefficient—a product of his being forced to play with a protective mask that blurred his vision. In 49 games without the mask, however, Rose averaged 17.3 points on 44.9 percent shooting from the field.

In 21 games played after the All-Star Break, he averaged 17.4 points on a slash line of .468/.375/.784.

In 2016-17, Rose will be afforded a luxury that he hasn’t been granted since 2011: a full and healthy offseason. Rather than rehabilitating or making a postseason run, Rose has been working to improve both physically and on the court since the regular season ended.

For the Knicks, that’s a promising sign that he could get back to being healthy and productive on a full-time basis in 2016-17.

If Rose’s trainer is correct, 2016-17 will be an explosive and exciting season in New York.