At The Buzzer: Playing The Right Way… Sans Larry

It’s only the preseason but the fact that the Knicks are undefeated, following Tuesday’s 116-108 win over Boston, is a pretty positive sign. Sure, they beat a Nets side that was without J-Kidd and Vince Carter and Eddy Curry went off against the 76ers — he had 25 points and 10 boards — and their back-up center Stephen Hunter, and Tuesday’s victory came against a rebuilding Boston team that didn’t play All-Star Paul Pierce but still.

Considering last season’s unmitigated disaster, any win is a good win, as the Knicks continue to shake off the Larry Brown hangover (or Brown-induced post traumatic stress syndrome). Freed of Brown’s overbearing “teaching” and insistence that only he knows the “right way” to play the game of basketball, this is a team that is playing with a joie de vivre and esprit de corps that was missing from the middle of January on last season.

Indeed, even the news that Jared Jeffries, the Knicks key off-season acquisition and likely starter at small forward, will be out for at least six weeks with a broken left wrist, did little to tamper the team’s effort and energy in their game against the Celtics. Sophomore forward David Lee (12 boards, 11 points) and rookie forward Renaldo Balkman (9 points, 7 caroms) capably subbed for Jeffries.

Energy, effort, and enthusiasm certainly carry the day in the exhibition season, which is why it wouldn’t be that surprising to see the Knicks continue their winning run. Unfortunately, that won’t be enough when the regular season gets started. Playing with more passion and consistency should be enough to help them win their share of games against teams from the Awful Atlantic but it’s unlikely to be enough when the Knicks square with the NBA’s better teams but at least this edition of the Knickerbockers is showing signs that they will compete in every game. And that’s something that didn’t happen last season, which is why these Knicks should hear many more cheers than boos at The Garden this season.

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