2007, Feb. 22: The Arizona Republic - A Rose's Thorn

A Rose's thorn This was not what swingman Jalen Rose signed up for, but he knew what he was getting into when he chose Phoenix over Miami as a free agent earlier this season. He said it was his duty to research D'Antoni, and he knew that he plays a rotation of seven to eight players, "the first in the history of basketball" to do so, Rose. He just thought he would be part of that after starting 45 games last season and averaging at least 12 points for seven consecutive seasons. Regardless, he said D'Antoni "is a great guy" and that winning a championship would make all the "DNPs" worth it. "I've just got to be professional," Rose said. "This is an original situation. The opportunity discussed and the opportunity presented are two different arenas. If there is a silver lining besides winning, it's to be around a great bunch of guys." He said "everybody in the world" asks him why he can't crack the rotation. His game speed seems to be the main reason. Instead, Rose is senior manager at "The Fitness Club," the end-of-the-bench bunch. Free throws After former Suns star and current TNT analyst Charles Barkley criticized D'Antoni's short rotation and challenged him to use his reserves more, D'Antoni said he wasn't sure he should take basketball advice from someone who "choked" away championships and had his own playoff conditioning questioned.