Creating a ton of angst and general wonderment, Derrick Rose didn't inform the Knicks about his whereabouts before they lost 110-96 to the Pelicans on Monday. Needing to tend to his family back home in Chicago, Rose left without permission and left the Knicks wondering about his general safety.
Rose did eventually talk with teammates and team officials and the two sides apparently smoothed the whole thing out. However, the Knicks did fine him for his actions and Rose did play in their following game, a buzzer-beating 98-97 loss to the Sixers on Wednesday.
On the surface, Rose being able to play right away and getting just a fine seemed like a rather light penalty for such a strange and confusing infraction, especially since in this day and age it is so easy to communicate with everyone. And while that still holds true, the Knicks reportedly did at least hit Rose with a hefty $200,000 fine.
From the New York Post's Marc Berman:
Disappearing Knicks point guard Derrick Rose was fined roughly $200,000 for missing Monday's loss to the Pelicans without notification, sources said.
Coach Jeff Hornacek indicated the Knicks followed the code used for a player being suspended for one game -- which is 1/110th of his $21 million wage or roughly $200,000. A source confirmed that's the mathematical formula the Knicks used.
"The team fined him a pretty hefty amount -- the amount of the fine for missing a game,'' Hornacek said.
The money isn't the central issue here, Rose -- a semi-star player -- not communicating with his team is. But perhaps this type of behavior is in the past for Rose and he basically has said it won't happen again. Either way though, Rose's behavior and his mediocre play in general has hurt his chances of landing a max-contract this summer, which he believes he deserves.
