Rose pressured by Knicks to take 3s, hopes to shoot more in playoffs

Derrick Rose has seen his 3-point attempts per game steadily decline in each of the past three seasons, and that's with his minutes heading upward during that span. His current team in the New York Knicks hopes the former league MVP will be less predictable and incorporate that shot into his offense once again.

"I’m trying to put pieces of my game together,” Rose said after Thursday’s optional practice, according to the New York Post's Marc Berman. "I’m not shooting 3s yet. Hopefully I’ll start shooting them in the playoffs. It’s going to take a lot of sacrifice and dedication to get there. I’m just adding pieces to my game throughout the season."

The Knicks' starting point guard admitted that the coaching staff has nudged him toward shooting more from behind the arc. Rose is attempting 1.1 on the season with only 13 makes on 57 attempts (22.8 percent).

"I shoot them in practice," Rose added. "In the game, I got to be efficient, and that’s what I’m trying to do now. KYP: Know your personnel. The way I’m being effective now is with the mid-range.

"I can shoot them now. I choose not to. I could shoot five of them, (but) nah, I don’t have time dealing with the critics and all that comes with it. I want to be efficient than just try things."

New York currently owns a record of 25-36, which puts the team four full games out of the eighth-seeded Detroit Pistons for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. With just 21 games remaining on the schedule, Rose may not get an opportunity to show off an improved 3-point shot in the postseason, despite his optimism.

While he's not lighting it up from deep, the 28-year-old is still producing relatively strong numbers in his first season with the franchise, averaging 17.6 points, four rebounds, and 4.4 assists in 52 appearances.