Knicks' busy schedule will test McGrady's knee

GREENBURGH, N.Y. - Tracy McGrady Thursday acknowledged he has "some good days" and "some not so good days" with his surgically repaired left knee.

Thursday was a good day. The Knicks got in their first full-squad practice since last week's blockbuster trade-deadline machinations. McGrady was out there sweating it up with his new teammates as the Knicks prepare for three games in four nights, starting Friday night in Washington and ending Monday against LeBron James and the Cavaliers in Cleveland.

"Today I feel pretty good,'' McGrady said. "We'll see how I feel tomorrow. For the most part, I think me working so hard to get back on the basketball court has really paid off as far as me being in good condition to bounce back from one game to the next, one practice to the next. I feel pretty good physically."

He'll have to, because the Knicks are heading into their busiest stretch of the season. They have 15 games in the next 26 days, including three back-to-backs. They don't have two days off in a row until March 24-25.

All of which begs the question of just how much the Knicks (19-37) - who are owned by Cablevision, which also owns Newsday - can expect to see McGrady on the court in the season's final 26 games. They have that time to evaluate whether he can be a part of the organization's rebirth as more than a huge expiring contract.

"I've got to do a lot of catching up," McGrady said. "I've just got to listen to my body. I don't try to look forward and rule out a game. If I'm able to go 20 minutes or 30 minutes, I'll just let Coach know."

McGrady's minutes and production have declined since he scored 26 points in 32:03 in his Knicks debut Saturday. He scored 15 in 29:54 Monday night and six in 26:43 the next night. McGrady was slowed in the last two games after bumping knees with another player Monday.

"He hasn't played in a couple years," coach Mike D'Antoni said. "It's just going to take him a little while. Even with that, he's still pretty good. He makes a lot of good plays, he plays smart. I just think he's going to get better every game. Every week that goes by, he's going to get better."

Notes & quotes: David Lee called tonight's game in Washington "a game we should win." The Knicks have lost eight in a row and 17 of 21 . . . D'Antoni said Bill Walker, who scored seven points in 12:42 Tuesday in Boston, will get more time. "He's somebody we want to look at," D'Antoni said. "He impressed the heck out of us." Walker, 22, came from Boston in the Nate Robinson trade.