The NBA released its finalists for all of the awards on Thursday, just days before the NBA playoffs officially get underway. New York Knicks guard Derrick Rose was listed as a finalist for the Sixth Man of the Year award, a huge testament to the success he's had since joining the Knicks midseason via trade.

However, Rose is more concerned about the playoffs, according to Ian Begley of SNY. 

Rose is making his return to the playoffs for the first time since 2018 when he was on the Minnesota Timberwolves. He spent the past season plus with the Detroit Pistons before being shipped to New York in a reunion with Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau.

After that, Rose had a revelation of a season. In 35 games with the Knicks, he posted averages of 14.9 points with 4.2 assists and became a key contributor as well as a key veteran presence for a young, rejuvenated squad. The Knicks in turn finished as the 4-seed in the Eastern Conference and have earned a first-round matchup with the Atlanta Hawks.

While Rose is certainly worthy of a Sixth Man of the Year award, it makes sense why that's the furthest thing on his mind right now. The Knicks have a chance to make some noise in the playoffs, especially considering their insane ability on the defensive end.

So, hats off to Rose for revitalizing his career in New York, and hats off to the Knicks for pulling the trigger and trusting him on a team full of young talent.

If the Knicks want to escape the first round, they will need some big performances from Rose.