The Detroit Pistons may be losing but former MVP Derrick Rose continues to shine

The Detroit Pistons are in the midst of a forgettable season but they do have one bright spot that continues to shine through night after night.

Derrick Rose once again poured in at least 20 points albeit in a 106-100 losing effort on MLK Day to the Washington Wizards.

Rose's latest scoring effort on Monday makes it nine straight 20-points games. It's the third-longest 20-point streak of his career and the longest since March of 2011.

Rose is averaging 18.3 points, 5.9 assists shooting 50.3% on the season coming into Monday's game. NBA.com's Micah Adams pointed out that Rose is producing on a per minutes basis at the level he was during his 2011 MVP campaign back in December. He's gotten better since than.

Over the last nine games, Rose is averaging  23.8 points, 5.7 assists shooting 55.8% from the field. And while that hasn't turned into wins for the Pistons, maybe it might make him a hot commodity as the Feb. 6th trade deadline approaches.

Let's be clear, Rose has yet to be rumoured to be involved in any trade discussions but wouldn't he help a team looking for secondary/bench scoring?

Right now, the Pistons are third in the NBA in bench scoring behind the L.A Clippers and Wizards. Rose is a large part of that and would not only help bench production but would provide another closer which is crucial in playoff games. 

Derrick Rose pre-ACL injury was one of the most explosive players in the NBA. He was electric and a game-changer. That style of play is now behind him but he's found a way to still be a game-changer at age 31 — eight years removed from his peak.

Rose signed a two-year $15 million dollar contract this past off-season. That looks like an abosolute bargain now for the Detroit Pistons and a potential NBA Sixth Man of the Year.

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