The year was 1993. Rod Strickland had finally landed in Portland and the Blazers were a perfect fit. Strickland quickly emerged as the league’s top point guard from 1993 - 1998. During this 5 year run, Strickland averaged 18 points and 10+ assists per game. His 10+ assist per night was an NBA best for several seasons. With that said, Rod was special for a number of reasons. He had the size (6′ 3). He was committed to the drive and his rare inclination to launch a 3 pointer should have appealed to all basketball purists. Rod had tremendous speed, strength, and was a spectacular finisher at the rim. He was the best ball handler the league had seen since the great Isaiah Thomas, and he could dish with the best of them. In the words of Bill Walton, “Rod Strickland flirted with a triple double every night.”
But for true point guards everywhere, Rod was more than just a numbers man. The style and flare with which he played the position made him special. He was ultra-creative, and had a great feel for the game. Despite his fundamental soundness, he defied many of the old-time teachings associated with the point guard position. For instance, he always left his feet before figuring out what he wanted to do with the ball. Like a great rapper performing a freestyle, the whole lure was watching Rod hang in the air as he ”worked things out”. Moreover, unlike other contemporaries, Rod had a dynamic post-up game deserving of a double-team.
Fast forward to 2008. When you look around the league, only a few point guards branish numbers similar to those posted by Rod in the mid-90’s. Names such as Deron Williams, Steve Nash, and Chris Paul immediately come to mind. Taking nothing from the aforementioned, neither has the “total” Strickland package. While Williams has the size, he lacks Rod’s creativity, handle, vision, and post-up ability. While Nash has proven over recent years he can freestyle with the best of them, he can’t board, can’t post, can’t finish, and lives by the 3-pointer. Big ups to Chris Paul, but he lacks the size to post other guards.
There is only one point guard in today’s game who truly exemplifies Strickland’s game. Enter Derrick Rose. The similarities here are striking. Derrick Rose has the size (6′ 3). He has the handle, creativity, and vision. He is committed to the drive and rarely shoots a 3-pointer. He has the strength and the post-up game. He can board and he is a triple double waiting to happen. He is unselfish and too shares with Rod Strickland the ability to create in the air. Most importantly, Derrick Rose plays with a similar change of pace, style, and swagger that Rod played with. This unique combination is what has attracted fans to his game.
The similarities between the two should come as no surprise to anyone. Rod is a folk legend in Chicago from the work he put in at Depaul. Derrick Rose is from Chicago and grew up in the shadow of that legend. Rod is also an assistant coach with the Memphis Tigers. He used his NBA clout and “street cred” to lure Derrick Rose to Memphis. Once at Memphis, Rod tutored Derrick to the ways of the NBA game and it shows. In 2008, the basketball world is in love with Derrick Rose.
But where does this leave Rod Strickland’s legacy in the annuls of NBA history? Perhaps Rod Strickland was ahead of his time. Perhaps the basketball world in 1988 was not yet ready to recognize his revolutionary style and innovative game. But thankfully, time has a way of repeating itself. Twenty (20) years after Rod Strickland splashed onto the NBA scene, here we go all over again. Thank you Derrick Rose.