http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/28/sports/basketball/ny-knicks-derrick-rose-training-camp-carmelo-anthony.html 2016-09-28 05:11:20 Knicks Open Camp With Rose Looking to Complement Anthony With Derrick Rose around to lessen the burden on Carmelo Anthony, the new-look Knicks are getting to know one another while hoping they won’t be waylaid by injuries. === GREENBURGH, N.Y. — Jeff Hornacek, the new coach of the The Knicks’ desire to officially flip the calendar from last season is understandable. After a strong start, the team finished 32-50, and during their tumble, Derek Fisher was fired as the head coach. The Knicks have not made the playoffs since 2013, and in the off-season, they signed players with intriguing talent to try to end that drought, although their prized newcomer, The case is scheduled to go to trial early next month. In addition, the Los Angeles Police Department is conducting a criminal investigation of the case. Rose said he did not believe the case would become a distraction. “I’m not saying that because I know how sensitive the topic is and the subject is,” Rose said, adding that he was focused on basketball and his son and that he was “blessed” to have his legal team handling the lawsuit. When he is on the floor, Rose, who has battled injuries throughout his career, should be the type of dynamic point guard that the Knicks’ centerpiece, Although Anthony and Rose were not on familiar terms, over the summer Anthony invited his new teammate to a charity event he hosted in Puerto Rico to “break the ice,” Rose said. The rendezvous seemed to have made an impression on Anthony. “I’m more excited for him than I think he is for himself,” said Anthony, who added that he felt a different energy Tuesday than in past training camps. “I love comeback stories. I love guys that are always counted out, backs up against the wall, and they have an opportunity to go out there and try to prove themselves. You can just see a different Derrick than what you’ve seen over the past couple of years. You can just look at him. The look is on his face.” Given Rose’s injury history and legal problems, the Knicks’ return to the postseason is far from guaranteed. Another new acquisition, Brandon Jennings, must prove that he has recovered from tearing his left Achilles’ tendon in January 2015. The Knicks also added Joakim Noah from the Chicago Bulls. Like Rose, he has a history of injuries. Noah missed the Knicks’ media day on Monday and practice on Tuesday because of an undisclosed family matter. On Monday morning, Noah Rose, a native of Chicago, sounded refreshed to be in a new city. Last year, he opened training camp with concerns over a fractured left orbital bone, which he said had hurt his play. With his performance obviously hindered, Rose was inundated by criticism. On that matter, Anthony can sympathize. Through much of last season’s plummet down the standings, Anthony took the brunt of the blame from fans no longer sure that the team could contend with him as the focal point. Rose said it was his job to help lessen the burden on Anthony, and he rejected any notion that there would be a clash of personalities. “My job, like I said, is to come here and help him win,” Rose said. “This is his team. In practice, to push him, to be on him when I see that he’s being lazy or something like that, and vice versa.” He added: “I’m not coming in with an ego problem. I’m not coming in chasing no stats or anything like that. I don’t care about my stats. I don’t look at them after games. As long as we win, I can sleep easy at night. That’s the only thing I’m worried about.”