EAST LANSING, Mich. _ The Detroit Pistons are accustomed to speedy point guards.
Ish Smith, who spent the past three seasons with the Pistons, plays the game at a breakneck pace. He's with the Washington Wizards now, but Derrick Rose, his replacement, is just as fast.
That's the scouting report after the second day of training camp at Breslin Center.
But Rose, who at 6-foot-3 is three inches taller than Smith, brings the added dimension of size and power.
Pistons coach Dwane Casey noted the difference after Wednesday's first session.
"He looks like he's got rockets in his back pockets," he said. "Ish was quick, but Derrick is doing it with power and speed and that's the difference."
The numbers bear it out. With a quick first step, Rose is effective getting in the paint and finishing through defenders.
He's a scoring threat in multiple offensive situations, from off-the-dribble isolation to dribble handoffs to coming off screens. Rose shot 65.1% near the rim last season, a fantastic number for a point guard forced to elude rim protectors. Smith shot 61.1% near the rim, with only 19.4% of his shot attempts coming that close to the basket (compared with 29% for Rose).
Rose also is a passing threat with a career average of 5.6 assists per game.
"He's hard to guard in the paint because he looks off the defender so well, you got to (be) ready to roll when (he) drives into the paint," Markieff Morris said.
That's why it was an easy call to sign Rose, who turns 31 on Friday, to a two-year deal in the offseason.
Casey said Rose has to acclimate to the new system after spending the past four seasons with four teams.
"The thing with the point guard is he's getting used to the offensive philosophy, the style of play, what we want to do offensively," Casey said. "So far, so good. We're excited about Derrick, his approach. He's a man's man, he's a pro."
