This is the bottom line right now for Patrick Ewing. He’s out of step. And behind a step. A frantic season is fast approaching and time is running out.
Ewing sat out a valuable day of practice yesterday at the Knicks’ Island Garden mini-camp with a sprained right knee incurred in Friday’s pre-season loss to the Nets. He hopes to practice today, but he said the same thing Friday night.
“(The knee) is a little bit swollen,” Ewing said. “I’m not going to rush to come back.”
Ewing was so concerned about the knee that he decided to have an MRI Saturday after the team said Friday night there would be no further tests. The MRI did not spot any serious damage.
“They said it was just a bruise, there is no damage to the cartilage,” Ewing explained. “I’ve just got to get a lot of the swelling out of it and get some of the pain to go away.”
Asked if he were confident that Ewing would pick up that missing step in four days for Friday night’s opener in Orlando, Jeff Van Gundy said, “I’m hopeful. Your premise is that he is a half-step slow in reaction, is absolutely true. It’s true because he hasn’t had the opportunity other than four times in the last 14 months to play against NBA competition.”
This isn’t just any regular step.
“I don’t mean foot speed running [up and down the court],” Van Gundy explained. “I mean laterally, and not just quickness, but force in his movements, like duck-ins and one-dribble spin backs.
“I’ll tell you one thing, if he can’t practice between now and Orlando you’re not going to see a difference in Orlando or against Miami,” Van Gundy said. “If Patrick suits up, Patrick starts, but it would have an effect on minutes.”
Ewing’s workout yesterday was limited to a few free throws at the end of practice. He will have to learn to mesh with a key new player this year in Latrell Sprewell and that will take time.
“We would love to have him out there and get him in great shape,” Sprewell said. “Especially me. I would like to get a feel for what he likes to do, what he would like for me to do if I throw the ball in the post, things like that. We’ve got a bunch a games in a row, so he’ll have the opportunity to get his game where he wants it to be.”
That will be in the regular season, though. This is Ewing’s offensive game plan now.
“If they double me, I’m going to kick it out to whoever is open,” Ewing said. “If they go to somebody else, they have to find the open person.”
Asked if he wants the ball down the stretch, Ewing said, “I always want the ball, but this is a team game. Everybody’s here to win a championship, and we’re going to do whatever it takes to win.”
Asked if he has changed, a testy Ewing didn’t wait for the question to end, before he shot back, “I want the ball, I will always want the ball, but if I get double-teamed I’m going to try to find the open people, which I’ve been doing since I’ve been here. I just never get credit for it.”
Before all those questions can be answered, Ewing, who is 36 and has had four arthroscopic surgeries on his right knee, has to be able to practice.
“Patrick realizes, and we realize, that he needs to be very effective for us to be successful,” Van Gundy said. “Last year, I thought we did a great job when he didn’t play, but when you’re talking about a key piece and you’re thinking big thoughts, you need everybody. I wouldn’t be as worried if this were Oct. 28 and we’re heading into a long season, but there are no practices left after you get done here. It’s 50 games in 88 days, so what are we going to have, maybe 19 more real practices at the most. It’s hard to ask a guy to get his game together by just playing games.
“We’d like to know what Patrick has left and how healthy he is but, until you see it, you can’t be sure,” Van Gundy noted, being realistic about the situation. Then there is forward Kurt Thomas, who has missed all but 23 games the last two years and Sprewell, who is still trying to find his way after his 14-month layoff.
“It’s worrisome when guys have been out that long and can’t practice, too,” Van Gundy said of Ewing. “Patrick’s mistakes right now are all game-related things, fumbling the ball, forgetting to block out and get the ball. A half-step late to come over and challenge.”
Then there is the other part of the game, respect from referees. Ewing picked up two quick fouls in his seven minutes in Friday’s loss to the Nets.
“I told him, you must be getting old,” Van Gundy joked. “Some of these referees don’t remember who you are. They gave him two fouls we’ve never seen before. I was going to reintroduce him. He’s been out 14 months. My God.”
