Starters, reserves have friendly rivalry
New York Knicks forward Jared Jeffries, left, goes up against Knicks forward Amare Stoudemire during team practice at the Knick's training facility. (Dec. 12, 2011) Credit: AP
GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- The Knicks have developed a friendly, yet intense, rivalry between the starters and bench players. Mike D'Antoni unwittingly raised the level of competition when he pointed out that the second unit has been beating the starters in practice during the past week. Since then, the trash talk on both sides has reached deafening heights inside the practice facility as each unit tries to prove its dominance on the court.
"Any time you create a rivalry between the first and second team, it makes everyone better," Amar'e Stoudemire said. "We're going to make sure we keep talking our trash and keep smacking those guys around. That way, they can get better."
The starters and bench guys split their two practice games Saturday, but "we won the one that counted," Carmelo Anthony said.
Because of a jam-packed schedule after the lockout ended, practice time has been minimal this season. But after Wednesday night's victory over the Cavs, the Knicks were able to practice three straight days for the first time since their short training camp in December. They've gotten healthy and better acclimated to each other.
"We needed this," Anthony said. "Just to get in the gym, get up and down. Tighten up some screws out there, get on the same page. Try to get our chemistry down. I know it's only been a week, but we're moving it to the right direction . . . We're all locked in."
And extremely physical. Anthony said that during every practice, the members of the second unit try to "beat us up, try to foul us, try to play tough with us."
But it's that passion that makes practice so enjoyable for the players, Stoudemire said. "It's something that we really look forward to because it's a challenge for us," he said. "And we all feel ourselves getting better."
