It is hard to talk about Derrick Rose career stats without feeling like you're looking at two different human beings. One was a blur. A literal whirlwind that defied physics in a Chicago Bulls jersey, leaving defenders with nothing but highlights and regret. The other was a gritty, high-IQ veteran who had to reinvent every single part of his game just to stay on the floor.
When he retired in 2024, the numbers on the back of the card told a story of "what if," but also a story of "still here." Honestly, looking at 12,573 career points doesn't tell the whole story. You've gotta look at the 2,324 rebounds and 3,770 assists to see the playmaking evolution. Basically, he went from a guy who lived at the rim to a guy who could orchestrate a second unit with his eyes closed.
The Peak: 2011 and the MVP Numbers
Most people go straight to the 2010-11 season when they look up Derrick Rose career stats, and for good reason. He was 22. The youngest MVP ever. It sorta feels like a fever dream now, but the stats back up the hype. He averaged 25 points, 7.7 assists, and 4.1 rebounds per game that year.
He didn't just score; he carried.
👉 See also: Adrian Peterson 40 Yard Dash: What Most People Get Wrong
The Bulls had a 62-20 record, the best in the NBA, despite Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah missing huge chunks of time. If you look at the on-off splits from that year, the Bulls' offensive rating was 110.9 with him on the court—top tier. Without him? It plummeted to 101.2. That's the difference between a contender and the worst offense in the league.
Rose was the only player in the top 10 for both points and assists that season. He shot 44.5% from the field, which sounds low by today’s efficiency-obsessed standards, but you have to remember the spacing. He was driving into a crowded paint every single night.
The Pivot: Post-Injury Reality
Then 2012 happened. The ACL tear.
Everything changed, and the Derrick Rose career stats started to reflect a much slower, more calculated style of play. He missed the entire 2012-13 season. When he came back, the explosiveness was... different. Not gone, just less frequent. His points per game dropped to 15.9 in his final full season with the Bulls.
But look at his New York and Minnesota years.
📖 Related: Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes: What Really Happened to WWE’s Most Promising Duo
In 2018-19, playing for the Timberwolves, he averaged 18 points on a career-high 37% from three. Kinda wild for a guy who was labeled a "non-shooter" early on. He actually had that legendary 50-point game against Utah that year. It wasn't just a fluke; he was shooting 48.2% from the floor that season. He had adapted.
The Final Chapters and Total Output
By the time he reached the Memphis Grizzlies for his final season in 2023-24, Rose was a mentor. He played 24 games, averaging 8 points and 3.3 assists in limited minutes. His usage rate was still high-ish at 22.5%, showing that even at the end, teams trusted him to handle the rock.
His career averages finished at:
- 17.4 Points Per Game
- 5.2 Assists Per Game
- 3.2 Rebounds Per Game
- 45.6% Field Goal Percentage
- 83.1% Free Throw Percentage
The shooting percentages are actually more impressive than people think. He finished with an effective field goal percentage (eFG%) of 48.3%. For a guy who had to change his shooting form because of knee surgeries, that’s pure "I won't quit" energy.
Why the Playoffs Mattered More
Rose was always a "big game" hunter. His playoff stats often outperformed his regular season numbers. In his first-ever playoff series against the Boston Celtics in 2009, he averaged 19.7 points and 6.4 assists. He even dropped 36 points in his playoff debut.
Across 52 career playoff games, he averaged 18.7 points. That’s more than a full point higher than his regular-season average.
Critics love to point at the 31.6% career three-point shooting. Sure, he wasn't Steph Curry. But in the 2021 playoffs with the Knicks, he was arguably their best player, putting up 19.4 points and shooting 47.6% from the field. He found ways to be effective when the defense tightened up.
✨ Don't miss: Cubs vs White Sox: Why the Crosstown Classic Still Matters in 2026
Real Insights for Fans
If you're trying to compare Rose to other legends, don't just look at the totals. Look at the peak. Between 2010 and 2012, he was arguably the most unguardable player in the world.
- Check his 2011 advanced stats: He was 2nd in VORP (Value Over Replacement Player) and 1st in Offensive Box Plus/Minus.
- Watch the free throw rate: He averaged nearly 7 free throw attempts per game in his prime. After the injuries, that dropped to about 2 or 3. He couldn't hunt the contact like he used to, so he mastered the floater instead.
- Observe the longevity: He stayed in the league for 16 years. Most explosive guards are out by year 10 after those kinds of injuries.
The Derrick Rose career stats are a testament to a guy who loved the game enough to be someone else for a decade. He traded the dunks for mid-range jumpers and the MVP trophies for the respect of every locker room he walked into.
Next Steps for Deep Diving:
- Compare his 2010-11 shot chart with his 2018-19 season to see the literal shift in where he took his shots.
- Review his "per 36 minutes" numbers in his later years—they often stayed near 20 points, proving he was still efficient in short bursts.
- Look at his 2010 FIBA World Cup stats to see how he functioned as a secondary creator alongside other stars.