There are times when a player understands that there’s a need to have more than a casual conversation with his coach. Times when a heartfelt one-on-one meeting is in order to clear the air and make sure both individuals know where the other is coming from.

Such a time came last week for Jeff Van Gundy, who was bothered by comments made by Latrell Sprewell concerning not only his preference for starting, but also his admitting that his up-tempo style is not something he believes should altered. Sprewell did meet with Van Gundy in Los Angeles, and, looking back, is not sure the meeting was entirely necessary.

“‘I don’t know how much it was needed,” Sprewell said last night before the Knicks took on the Pacers. “He had some concerns. Coach, I guess, he’s the type who likes to read a lot, everything. I kind of felt he was reading too much into it.”

Ever his return from the stress fracture to his right heel, Sprewell has been coming off the bench for the Knicks, a role he has accepted but does not appreciate and does not want to see continue. This is a situation that bears watching, as Sprewell is a player who speaks his mind and if the Knicks continue to lose, it will be difficult for the high-scoring guard to refrain from complaining about his status as the sixth man.

Sprewell does not regret stating that he desires to return to the starting lineup; in fact, he’ll tell you all over again that’s his goal. “I don’t give phony answers, I don’t like being fake with people,” Sprewell said. “It’s just something I prefer. I didn’t say I wouldn’t come off the bench. I wouldn’t make a fuss. I haven’t really said anything to Jeff about it. I don’t see how I’m being unappreciative by being honest about certain things.”

Van Gundy is not exactly enthralled about rehashing his talk with Sprewell and last night said his player may have been baited into saying too much. “If you’re asked the same question 50 times … probably the best thing would have been to answer it once and then move on,” Van Gundy said. “But he’s trying to be media friendly.”

In averaging 16.9 points, Sprewell is shooting only .405 from the floor and Van Gundy has openly questioned his shot selection, which he says has been better the past two games. Van Gundy even took a shot at the player Sprewell replaced, John Starks, who also had a history of firing up shots, at times with little regard for time and distance from the basket.

“‘It gets overanalyzed,” Van Gundy said of Sprewell’s shooting, “‘where other guys who might have been here in that type of role before, it just became, ‘That’s him.'”

Van Gundy said, “I’m not analyzing every shot he takes” and it doesn’t sound as if Sprewell is, either. “I can’t get to the point where I’m constantly thinking out there on the floor about what coach has said, what I have to do, where I need to be,” Sprewell said. “‘That’s what you start playing tentative.”

The team the Knicks played last night has none of these issues, which does not mean they do not take a great interest in what’s going on with the Knicks.

“You make it to this level by wanting to be the best, and every player wants to be relied on to play 35 or 40 minutes,” said Pacers guard Jalen Rose, one of the many quality reserves on Indiana’s deep bench. “To hear someone not being happy coming off the bench is not a surprise, especially a player of Latrell Sprewell’s caliber. I’d rather have guys who want to play a whole lot than guys who are content.”