KNICK NOTES
Consider this full-support mode for the Knicks’ Jeff Van Gundy, who never tires of defending his team from its many critics.
Reminded yesterday that there’s a popular sentiment that the NBA and NBC (they aren’t one and the same) would like to see Toronto advance deep into the playoffs to showcase and further promote Vince Carter, Van Gundy said “You can see it by what people are writing, the NBA needs Toronto to advance. Well, we don’t have one of ‘those guys,’ maybe, in people’s minds, that’s just how it is.”
Asked if Latrell Sprewell’s ill-advised flagrant foul on Carter, in the final minute of the Knicks 92-88 victory, fuels the fire for those who insist the Knicks are a dirty team, Van Gundy said “Oh, we’re not dirty, we’re one of the nicest teams. We have no nastiness in us. We’re nice. We’re a very nice bunch of guys. Latrell was trying to hold him up, he wasn’t trying to pile-drive him, that’s totally unlike Latrell.”
Finally, Van Gundy was asked about the negative feedback that results whenever Larry Johnson unveils his “Big L” whenever he makes a big shot. “When Larry does this it’s bad,” said Van Gundy, placing his arms to form the “Big L”.
“When [Dikembe] Mutombo shakes his finger at the crowd, it’s funny. I know our guys, our guys are good guys. I think they play hard, I think they’re good people and I think they’re coachable.”
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Considering that it is the first time the Raptors are in the playoffs, there is no real handle on how they will respond to their opening-game loss at the Garden heading into tomorrow night’s Game 2. “They’re definitely an unpredictable type of team,” Marcus Camby said. “Our key right now is to keep those guys down.”
Sprewell was basking in the glow of rampant praise following his defensive work on Carter. Although he said he enjoys the challenge of guarding such a prominent scorer, he also admitted he doesn’t mind getting breaks against less-potent opponents. “The players I have to guard in the playoffs, Jamal Mashburn, Jalen Rose, I don’t think they’re as explosive as Vince,” Sprewell said. “They don’t get the touches that Vince gets. They’re not the focal point like Vince is. He has the ball more. Somebody has to take that responsibility to stop him. It’s something that’s not easy. Let’s see if I can do it again.”
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Van Gundy wouldn’t bite on questions about his Toronto counterpart, Butch Carter, who filed a $5 million lawsuit against Camby after Camby alleged Carter lied to him when the two were together in Toronto. “He did what he thought he had to do,” Van Gundy said. Asked what he thought of the Raptor coach and how he is perceived among other coaches, Van Gundy added “I think he’s an excellent coach. I don’t talk to too many other coaches, nor do I gossip about them to see how they’re portrayed.”