Derrick Rose addresses concerns about his three-point shooting

With Isaiah Thomas out until January, Derrick Rose will need to play a major role for the Cleveland Cavaliers. With the possibility of both Rose and Dwyane Wade starting, concerns about the spacing have inevitably surfaced.

For his career, Rose is just a 29.8 percent shooter from three. Last season, that percentage dropped to a career worst 21.7 percent on just 60 attempts. When asked about his three point shooting, Rose had an interesting response:

Via ESPN:

When a reporter asked him Saturday if he needed to put in extra work on his 3-pointers -- Rose shot just 13-for-60 from deep last season -- he responded with a thorough retort.

"Want me to tell you why, though?" Rose said. "Last year when you're only shooting 14 to 15 shots and they want four or five of those shots to be 3s, do you know how efficient you have to be out of the eight or nine shots [to still average close to 20 points]? At the end of the day, when you get paid, they look at numbers.

Rose has a point, in that it’s good that he recognizes that he isn’t a three-point shooter and limited attempts to shots he can make. Rose’s true shooting percentage of 53 percent last season was the highest he’s had since his last All-Star season in Chicago.

On the other hand, the fact he doesn’t take three-pointers because he can’t make them doesn’t necessarily address the spacing issues created by having him on the court. In a vacuum, Rose should still can be an effective scorer and help run the offense. However, it’s important that he is used in lineups that feature shooters to open up driving lanes.

While Rose’s retort addressed the attempts rather than the percentage and the root of the issue, his understanding of who he is as a player is a positive development. The Cavs have a lot of talent, but how it all fits together remains to be seen. It’s important that the supporting cast understands what they can and can’t do if they are going to get the most out of their depth.