Knicks Still Looking for a Starting Point

New York Knicks Coach Stu Jackson says that he will not announce his starting lineup for the regular season until right before game time Friday in Charlotte, N.C., which means Mark Jackson will not know until then if he has won back his starting job.

The coach would not say why he is keeping his point guards in the dark, other than to say, “I like to keep my starting lineup a secret.”

Maurice Cheeks, the incumbent point guard, played sparingly in the exhibition season as Stu Jackson tried to preserve the 34-year-old veteran of a dozen National Basketball Association seasons.

Then Cheeks had back pain that kept him out of the last two exhibition games against the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs. Meanwhile, Mark Jackson, who already was having a stellar camp, flourished even more while starting and playing extended minutes in Cheeks’ absence.

Jackson ran the club with aplomb and had 25 points against the Mavericks. Against the Spurs, Jackson had 23 points, eight assists and three steals.

“That’s the kind of situation I look forward to,” the 26-year-old guard said. “It wasn’t a perfect preseason, but I’m very happy with the way I played. I just feel great.”

Stu Jackson said: “Mark’s certainly capable of starting, I think right now we’ll leave it as is and go on with our practices and see. But I don’t think it’s a big deal who starts. As long as both guys are pulling in the same direction, then that’s all that matters to me.”

But there is more that matters to the players. Cheeks, who initially was obtained to be Jackson’s backup but was elevated to a starter last March, has said he wants to start -- but if he is not going to be the starter, he wants to know in advance so he can make the mental adjustment.

And Mark Jackson said after the Spurs game Saturday night, “Starting is important to me. It’s very important, I’m not going to lie. If I don’t start, it’s not the end of the world. But I’ve worked hard and shown that I’m capable of doing the job.”

He added: “One of my goals for the preseason was to make the other teams respect me. I had that in my first two years. I think I’ve gotten that back. And I can sense that my teammates are confident with me running the show.”

Said shooting guard Gerald Wilkins: “Mark’s been great. The fans appreciate him, and it’s well-deserved. He’s been humiliated, but he’s a smart guy. And a smart guy doesn’t make the same mistake twice.”

Jackson said the three necessary cuts to reduce the roster to the maximum 12 players probably will be made Tuesday. The Knicks might be able to keep someone they would otherwise cut because of Kenny Walker’s strained left knee. Walker more than likely will start the season on the injured list.

The battle for positions is at backup center between Eddie Lee Wilkins, Earl Cureton and Stuart Gray, and at guard between Greg Grant and John Starks. Wilkins, having served adequately as Ewing’s backup in the last three years, seems assured of that job once more.

Cureton has impressed the coaches by providing the intangibles of setting solid screens, playing tough interior defense and rebounding well on both ends of the floor.

The 7-foot Gray had an inspired game against Dallas last Sunday. But in other games he’s been his worst enemy by pressing to do more than he’s capable of doing, which resulted in mistakes.

Jackson said he still likes the 5-foot-7 Grant, although Grant repeatedly has had trouble defending taller players, which puts pressure on his teammates to cover for him. Starks had a rocky exhibition season, but when he performed well -- as he did against Dallas at Madison Square Garden and at San Antonio -- he excelled as a scorer. That the 6-5 Starks is a tough and quick defender should work to his advantage, but the Knicks’ coaching staff seems higher on Grant.