Knicks Learn Early About Life of Riley : Basketball: Smith, Blackman and others weren’t sure what to expect from coach.

Charles Smith and Rolando Blackman heard the stories about the boot-camp atmosphere of a Pat Riley training camp. They were warned about the nonstop running and taxing drills during Riley’s two-a-day workouts. But hearing about it was one thing and experiencing it quite another.

“It’s a whole lot more than I expected,” Smith said. “It takes you to the limit.”

“It was everything I was told it was and more,” Blackman said.

The two new Knicks and their teammates broke camp Wednesday, and rest assured that when they left the College of Charleston no one looked back. The Knicks, on their way to being one of the best-conditioned teams in the league, had survived Riley’s challenging regimen.

And while it was a tough, eye-opening experience for many--especially Smith and Blackman, both of whom came into camp not quite in the condition they would have liked--the Knicks left feeling all the better because of it.

“It’s great for all of us because when we hit that wall we all still worked together, trying to get through it,” Smith said. “We all pushed each other.”

That was never more evident than when Patrick Ewing came in last in a drill, the penalty for which is being made to run what Riley calls “17s.” It’s a drill in which the player runs from sideline to sideline as fast as possible for a minute. As Ewing began the tiresome journey, forwards Charles Oakley and Anthony Mason joined him.

“I thought that was great,” Smith said. “That was a show of support. They wouldn’t let him run alone.”

Smith and Blackman and all the Knicks have made significant improvements in their conditioning over the week-long training camp. Riley would have it no other way. On the first page of the team’s playbook is Riley’s credo: We want to be the best-conditioned, most professional, hardest-working team in the league. The second page is dedicated to strength and conditioning coach Greg Brittenham’s weight training programs. Riley called Brittenham the “very best in his field.”

“You cannot compete unless you’re in shape,” Riley said. “All the coaches that I’ve talked to and studied--to Adolph Rupp, Lombardi, Tom Landry, Shula--they all put conditioning at the top of the list. ... You work, you can’t walk around on eggshells, and you endure. Championships are won by the teams that endure.”

Blackman, the oldest Knick at 33, has been doing his best to endure. While he has improved his stamina, he said there’s still quite a bit more work to do before the season opener at Atlanta.

“I’m a long way from where I want to be,” he said. “It’s a long process for me. But I’m gearing myself for that same game on Nov. 6. That’s my target date.”

The Knicks play six exhibition games in nine days. On the off days, Riley will continue to push his team into maximum condition.

“Hard work never killed anybody,” Riley said. “I don’t believe, based on the way we work, that anybody in the league works harder.”

He added: “You take Jordan, Malone, Patrick, Worthy and Kevin Johnson or Stockton. Every one of those guys have taken their talent to another level because they are in unbelievable shape. They all have programs in the offseason. If you want to take your talent and become great, then you’ve got to be in condition to go above and beyond.”

Beyond a doubt, the other key element in the Knicks’ prospects this season is how the seven new players mesh with the five returnees. All parties agree that six days of work in Charleston are not enough to make an assessment.

“But we have the potential to have good chemistry,” guard John Starks said. “We have a good mix of young players and veterans. I think we’ll be even closer than last year’s team. You take my position. Rolando and I are working together. I’m trying to help him get accustomed to things a little quicker since I was here last year. That’s the way it is with everyone. We’re working together.”