Veteran guard Derrick Rose, despite his well-known introvert nature, admitted he needs to embrace being more of a vocal leader for the New York Knicks. So far, he's adjusting pretty well.

Rose and Taj Gibson are the two most experienced members of the hard-fighting Knicks. They're also two of the most trusted by coach Tom Thibodeau, having spent fruitful years together with the Chicago Bulls. Speaking of which, one guy who Rose has definitely developed a good relationship with was former teammate Joakim Noah. He used the defensive menace as an example in motivating Knicks rookie center Jericho Sims (via Empire Sports Media).

“I told him no matter what, if I got the ball, if I jump in the air, always pay attention to me until I get rid of the ball. Because sometimes I jump in the air and just to throw a fake pass just to give it to him for a lay-up. So just telling him everything I told Joakim (Noah) or any other big that I played with: To always keep their eyes on me so that they could get easy baskets.”

Rose and Noah spent a few years together with the Knicks as well. But it didn't really translate to success. Still, the two All-Stars enjoyed their most productive years when they were teammates.

The Knicks are very high on Sims, who grabbed 13 rebounds in their latest preseason game against the Washington Wizards, and getting a vote of confidence from Rose will surely bode well for him.