GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- Larry Hughes, Al Harrington, Chris Duhon.

David Lee, Nate Robinson, Darko Milicic.

The names of six potential starters? Maybe. But in New York, those names also represent something different: six players who are in the final year of their contracts.

The worst-kept secret in the NBA is that the Knicks are cleaning house in an effort to get under the salary cap for the summer of 2010, when stars such as LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh can become free agents. The Knicks have brazenly traded veterans like Jamal Crawford and Zach Randolph while caring little about what they got in return -- as long as the newcomers had fewer years remaining on his contract. Entering this season, only four veterans -- Eddy Curry, Jared Jeffries, Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler -- have contracts that extend beyond 2009-10.

"They have a plan," Lee said. "Obviously they don't want to take on any more salary and they are going to do whatever it takes to get as far under the cap as they can."

Before the Knicks can go on a spending spree in 2010, however, they must get through this season. And with the team's core players thinking about their next contracts, that won't be easy.

"I'm not sure how it's going to work," Knicks president Donnie Walsh said. "I've never been part of a season like this before. I know this: We have to play with a team concept. That's a must."

Said Lee: "It can be a situation where everyone pulls together and says, 'We don't know what our future is going to be but let's play it out and see what we can do as a team.' Or everyone says, 'I'm going to go for mine, do my own thing and make sure I'm taken care of.' "

Selfish play doesn't fit into Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni's offense, which is predicated on ball movement.

"You have to be unselfish to play in this system," Lee said. "You have to move the ball. And since we don't have a guy who is going to average 30 points per game, that's something I think we are going to have to realize from the get-go."

While the future of the team is uncertain, Lee believes this Knicks team has enough talent to make a serious run at the playoffs this season.

"There are a couple of teams in both leagues, like Boston and the Lakers, that probably have more talent than the teams they play against," Lee said. "But for the most part, teams 4-12 have similar talent. We had 18 games [last season] that were decided by five points or less. We win half of those games and we might be in the playoffs. I think a lot of those close games are going to come down to how well we play together -- buckling down, getting stops and grinding out baskets. That comes when everyone is on the same page. We need to have a good training camp and preseason to establish that.

"We were getting used to the coach last year and he was getting used to us. Our roles weren't as defined last year. This year we know who the main characters are going to be. I could be completely wrong and we could win zero games this year. But I like the vibe going into the season. I know we can play together."
Three Observations

1. After a nightmare '08-09 in which he dealt with personal problems and saw his weight balloon to 365 pounds, Curry reported to camp 40 pounds lighter. The Knicks' biggest worry with Curry is his ability to participate fully in training camp -- and the 6-foot-11 center already suffered a setback when he strained his calf during a scrimmage Tuesday night.

"He's going to have to do a lot of work," Walsh said. "He has to be committed to getting back to where he was."

One of Walsh's and D'Antoni's chief objectives with Curry is to ensure that he doesn't start to doubt himself at the first sign of trouble.

"We have to make sure to tell him that all is not lost with the first minor setback," Walsh said. "Don't give up on yourself."

Walsh has been particularly impressed with Curry's willingness to listen to advice from the coaching staff and team management.

"Last year he might not listen to you," Walsh said. "But he's more upbeat. I know how devastating a lot of things were for him [last year]. It was a very difficult year for the guy to go through. But I really believe he's turning the corner."

A healthy Curry not only would be a boon to the Knicks' offense, but a strong early performance could persuade a team to take the remaining two years and $21.8 million left on his contract, clearing even more cap space for next summer.

2. After experiencing back pain as a rookie that led to a surgical procedure designed to relieve pressure on the lower spine, Gallinari says he is pain-free. Gallinari has been working out since July and showed up in New York in early September to participate in scrimmages. That's good news for the Knicks, who have big plans for their 21-year-old forward. While Gallinari believes he is better suited for the small forward spot, Walsh and D'Antoni see him as a hybrid capable of creating mismatches at both forward spots.

"The things I think he will improve on [this season] are his strength and his ability to impose his will on the game," Walsh said. "The guy is a great driver and that's what he did when I saw him play in Italy. Actually, I used to wonder if he had the confidence in his jump shot. I don't anymore."

3. Count New York as the latest team to believe it can tap into the natural (though largely undiscovered) talent of Darko Milicic. To do that, the Knicks plan on taking a page out of the Magic's playbook. When Milicic played alongside Dwight Howard for a season and a half in Orlando, most of his touches came when he was facing up rather than with his back to the basket. The Knicks feel Milicic can be a dangerous scorer when put in that position (Walsh pointed to the 12.3 points he averaged in the '07 playoffs) and plan on utilizing him frequently that way in D'Antoni's offense.

"He has the skill to be good in this system," Walsh said. "That year in Orlando was probably his best season, and we're going to put him in a lot of the same positions."
Rookie report

Jordan Hill, the No. 8 pick in June, will get most of the headlines during training camp, but it's Toney Douglas, acquired in a draft-night deal with the Lakers, whose role may be the most important. After striking out in trying to acquire Jason Kidd, Ramon Sessions and Ricky Rubio in the offseason, the Knicks are desperately hoping someone can take some of the load off starting point guard Chris Duhon, who, after an All-Star-quality start last season (13.3 points, 8.9 assists in December), faded badly down the stretch (8.1 points, 5.4 assists in March). Walsh says Douglas, the ACC Defensive Player of the Year at Florida State, will get first crack at backing up Duhon.

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/chris_mannix/09/30/knicks/index.html?eref=T1#ixzz0Se1UL96l
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