All Is Not Well With the Knicks

The Knicks display a veneer that suggests contentment. But in reality, they are not a happy bunch going into the final 10 games of the regular season. Behind closed doors, this young, promising club is distracted by internal problems, troubles that have divided the team and could very well sabotage its lofty playoff ambitions.

Several Knicks told Newsday of recent bickering among teammates, general “bad attitudes” and an atmosphere quite at odds with the wonderful team chemistry they had spoken of earlier.

“It’s like a soap opera. You wouldn’t expect this from a pro team,” one player said. “Maybe in high school. We are here to win a championship, aren’t we?”

Veteran Trent Tucker said, “In a long season you hit some bumps in the road. It’s mostly just some young egos clashing.”

In the past week, according to several players:

--Guard Gerald Wilkins went into a tirade during a team meeting because of kidding from All-Star guard Mark Jackson regarding a published report that questioned Wilkins’ passing or lack of it.

--Players who spoke on the condition of anonymity said they were being “frozen out” of the offense by the other players on the floor, and another player said some players might intentionally not be passing the ball to recently acquired Kiki Vandeweghe.

--A key player sounded off because he was not granted a first-class seat on a flight from LaGuardia to Charlotte last Sunday.

--More than one player has complained openly of decreased playing time since Vandeweghe’s arrival.

“It all could be detrimental. It could hurt us on the court if we don’t get it together,” one player said.

“I just think it’s been a long year and it’s affecting us some,” Jackson, a co-captain, said. “It’s a part of growing. Right now, we have to take two steps back to get one step ahead.”

Coach Rick Pitino, sensing turmoil, called a team meeting late last week to allow players to voice their grievances and clear the air.

The 25-year-old Wilkins took center stage, according to players who were present, and spoke loudly about “not appreciating” Jackson’s bringing up a short item in last Tuesday’s New York Post that read, “At least one year-round Knick is grumbling about Gerald Wilkins’ unwillingness to give up the ball . . . “

Wilkins’ outburst shocked the team. Jackson was angry and felt betrayed since it was not unusual for him and Wilkins to joke with one another. The two, who were at one time pretty close, have not had any further problems, but they haven’t been buddy-buddy, either.

Wilkins seemed to regret the incident and would only say, “I’d rather not get into specifics. As far as I’m concerned, there’s not a lot to be concerned with.”

Jackson said: “We just have to stay on course to get back to the team we were. We have to get back to enjoying the game and enjoying each other.”

General Manager Al Bianchi, who said he and Pitino recently discussed the team’s inner troubles, added: “Rick has tried to put a stop to (the joking) because some kids can’t handle it. And you know what? That joking goes over better when you’re winning.”

Two Knicks said they felt they were being intentionally and mysteriously denied the ball by certain players. “Everybody on this team works hard and deserves to get the ball when he’s open,” one player said. “Sometimes that’s not happening. Sometimes it’s pretty obvious.”

Said another player: “Sometimes, I don’t get any shots. And it’s not because I wasn’t open, either.”

Still another player suggested that Vandeweghe has not always received the ball when he’s been open. “It’s a shame. Guys are insecure,” the player said.

That same player said a key Knick got upset when he was not granted a first-class seat on the Easter flight to Charlotte. There were only eight first-class seats available and this player, who usually sits up front, had to sit in the coach section along with three teammates.

“That was all about ego,” the player said.

Finally, some players are getting particularly upset about their minutes being cut since Vandeweghe came aboard. After Thursday’s win over Dallas, Charles Oakley said, “I’m trying to do things right. But you need time to get into the flow. . . . We brought in Kiki and everyone’s minutes are cut.”

Forward Johnny Newman, whose time has been cut, would not address that issue directly. “Well, I think we are not clicking like we were before, for whatever reasons,” Newman said. “I think we should acknowledge that and move on to correct it.”

Asked if he would, as a veteran, take measures to patch together the team, Sidney Green said, “As a veteran, I’ll mind my own damn business.”

It is clear that these problems are a direct result of the Knicks’ relative youth and inexperience at handling success. Also, their recent stretch of bad play--six losses in their last 11 games, including three straight at one point--has compounded the troubles.

Several attempts to reach Pitino yesterday were unsuccessful. But Bianchi said, “Let’s remember, we haven’t won anything. We have to bust our tails to win it. We’re trying to win in June. I can see that the guys are a little sideways, that something’s not right. I understand. Guys get cranky, especially with a young group. It’s winning and losing and they’re mentally tired. Every team has a spell in the season that things get a little sideways, on and off the court. This is ours.

“We need to get back on the right track. Some players may have to make some sacrifices. I think some of this is festered from getting Kiki. But it’s not all related to Kiki. I sensed something prior to the trade. When you have 12 egos, this kind of thing is going to happen.”