Stephen Curry is the Anti-Derrick Rose
By Eric He
One is an oft-injured star-turned MVP; the other is an MVP-turned oft-injured star. The former is Stephen Curry; the latter is Derrick Rose.
Rose has been in the news in recent weeks for the all the wrong reasons: sexual assault allegations and another long-term injury. The 2011 MVP took an elbow to the face during practice this week, and will be out two weeks after undergoing surgery.
For Rose, this type of news seems so commonplace that I scrolled right past it on my timeline when I saw it. ACL tears, meniscus tears, orbital fractures — name a body part and Rose has probably sustained an injury on it in the past few years. When there are multiple Onion articles written about you, that’s when you know you are a running joke.
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Which is sad for Rose, who burst onto the scene and claimed the league’s most valuable award in just his third season. He was the next mega-star, the hero Chicago had been waiting for since Jordan.
Until he wasn’t. Rose hasn’t been fully healthy since that MVP season. He played 39 games the next year, zero in 2012-2013, 10 in 2013-2014 and 51 last season. With every injury came storylines and predictions: will we see the Rose of old, the MVP?
The answer, unfortunately, has been “no.” Even in extended playing time last season, Rose, while still an explosive player with raw athletic ability, did not look the same and did not pose as much of a threat as he would have with full health.
Rose’s story is depressing, and strangely the antithesis of that of one Stephen Curry. We all remember Curry’s ankle problems that plagued him early in his career.
That compilation of twisted and sprained ankles is difficult to watch, and it was even tougher to experience when they were happening. After staying relatively healthy his rookie and sophomore seasons, Curry played just 26 games his third year, one year after Rose garnered the MVP with the Bulls.
And it was always the ankle, always some unfortunate situation where he rolled it and hobbled off the court in pain. The perception of Curry in 2012 was very much similar to the perception of Rose during his string of injuries — we know he’s talented and has great promise, but will his health hinder him of the remainder of his career?
That’s the a question the Warriors actually used to their advantage, signing Curry to a bargain four-year, $44 million the year after he played in just 26 games. And then, for some reason, the injuries stopped. And “Chef Curry” went off, draining threes, setting records, breaking (others’) ankles, winning championships, and yes, an MVP.
Maybe it was the shift to Under Armour shoes. Maybe the Warriors’ training staff developed a regimen to keep Curry healthy. Maybe it was just pure luck that nothing catastrophic has happened to Golden State’s golden boy in three full seasons.
Dec 6, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) passes the ball while being defended by Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose (1) with center Joakim Noah (13) looking on during the second quarter at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Whatever it is, the Warriors have it a whole lot better with Curry than the Bulls will ever have with Rose. For Rose peaked before being slapped with the “injury-prone” label, while Curry shed his “injury-prone” label and is just now peaking. Thus, the salaries are in contrast as well — Curry is being paid like an oft-injured star while Rose is being paid like an MVP.
It is incredible how one player can change the course of a franchise forever. Curry’s rise helped levitate the Warriors to championship status, while Rose’s fall has prevented the Bulls from contending for a championship.
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During his MVP season, Rose led the Bulls to a 62-win season, and a few more years with him at the helm may have landed Chicago a championship in the post-Jordan era by now. Instead, Rose’s inability to stay on the court has forced the Bulls to adjust their style of play and become used to playing without their best option. Think of the chaos that causes when Rose pops in once in a while for a few games before succumbing to another injury.
The Warriors have not had to deal with that problem as Curry has ascended into NBA lore. He is part of an uber-talented team with as solid a system as one can find. As long as Curry is healthy, the Warriors are healthy — knock on wood.
Curry, at 27 years of age, is a year older than Rose, 26. But their career trajectories have taken nearly opposite paths, one for the better and the other for the worse. Injuries are part of the game, but they are not fun, and can have quite an impact on an organization for a lengthy period of time. For the sake of sanity and his own well-being, let’s all hope Derrick Rose finds his way back onto the court soon and rekindle just a touch of that mesmerizing magic we were robbed of the past four years.