Sexual assault civil trial forces Derrick Rose to miss Knicks preseason games

Jeff Hornacek says the missed time could affect the guard's ability to learn the offense

Wanting to upgrade their point guard position, the New York Knicks traded for a former MVP in Derrick Rose this past summer. However, while Rose took part in training camp, a lawsuit that alleges he and his two friends raped a woman have forced him to stand trial in Los Angeles and miss a Knicks preseason game on Saturday.

Rose testified in court Friday and is expected to remain in Los Angeles for the duration of the civil trial. Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek told reporters Saturday that Rose will return to the team when the trial is over. This means that Rose will likely miss a significant portion of the Knicks' preseason and could go through an adjustment period, especially on offense, when he returns.

From ESPN's Ian Begley:

It is unclear if Rose will play in Monday's preseason game against the Washington Wizards, but head coach Jeff Hornacek said it is unlikely at this point. Rose's trial is scheduled to resume Tuesday.

"It's pretty difficult to go back and forth for one game and then go right back and then come back for a game. So he's just going to take care of that and then come back," Hornacek said.

...

Hornacek has acknowledged that not having Rose around the team might affect his ability to learn the Knicks' new offense. He said Rose is missing the aspects of the offense that coaches have installed the past two days.

"He understands the game, so he should be picking it up pretty quickly," Hornacek said earlier this week.

The trial is expected to last until the end of this week. Rose, who has already missed a game and two practices, will continue to miss time with the Knicks until the trial comes to a conclusion.