Derrick Rose scored fewer points in the NBA than Harrison Barnes and averaged fewer per game than Antoine Walker. Like Brandon Roy, another ascending guard whose career was destroyed by injuries, he made only three All-Star teams. He never averaged eight assists or rated as a particularly effective defender. Even at his peak, he was never an especially efficient scorer. Taken in isolation, these are things that would keep most players out of the Hall of Fame.
But Rose won an MVP, and winning an MVP, in basketball, is an automatic ticket to the Hall of Fame. Every MVP in NBA history is in the Hall of Fame except for the nine that played last season: LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid and Rose, who retired on Thursday. The first eight would be Hall of Fame locks with or without their trophies. Rose is the outlier here. He generates debate because of the unusual arc his career took. He is the youngest MVP in NBA history. After his third season, he appeared destined to rank among the greatest point guards of all time. He tore his ACL in the opening game of the playoffs the following year and was never the same again.
There aren’t any exact analogues for Rose in the Hall of Fame, but there are approximations. Bob McAdoo stands out. Like Rose, he won an MVP at a very young age (23, in his third season). Like Rose, his prime was relatively brief. He made only four All-Star teams. His individual numbers were better, and he benefitted from winning championships with the Lakers late in his career. He had to wait a bit to get into the Hall of Fame—his induction came in 2000, 10 years after his retirement—but he made it nonetheless. Rose will as well. He might not even have to wait.
This is not, contrary to what the tone of this story may imply, an argument against Rose making the Hall of Fame. Frankly, the Basketball Hall of Fame has committed far more egregious errors. Everyone seems to make it. Mitch Richmond was a scorer who never averaged 26 points per…
..
