Paul Silas has known Don Chaney since the two played against one another in the NBA in the 1960s and 1970s.

But they share more in common that being former NBA players. Not only are both longtime NBA coaches, but they are joined now more than ever by experience as interim head coaches.

Chaney became New York Knicks interim head coach 10 days ago when Jeff Van Gundy resigned. Chaney and the Knicks visit Charlotte tonight at 7 p.m. in Chaney?s sixth game as New York coach.

And Chaney can only hope he can duplicate ? if not exceed ? the success Silas enjoyed as an interim coach of the Hornets three seasons ago.

Then, Silas took over for Dave Cowens after he resigned and was able to turn around what appeared to be a lost season and get Charlotte within a single victory of the 1999 NBA playoffs.

"It?s possibly the roughest thing you?ll ever go through," Silas said of being an interim coach. "It?s because you don?t have time on your side. You have to win and win now."

Silas took over a 4-11 team that, after an 8-9 start with him as head coach, won nine straight games to get into playoff contention before finishing the lockout-shortened 1999 season with a winning record (26-24).

Chaney?s start hasn?t been nearly as successful, as the Knicks have lost four straight since winning Chaney?s debut. It?s the Knicks? longest losing streak since April 1999.

As a former New York assistant, Silas understands the scrutiny Chaney faces. He reasons that it?s more than he faced with the Hornets.

"At least when I got the job here, there was not a lot of speculation over who was going to get the job," Silas said. "Up there in that media market, there?s all kinds of speculation over who might be interested, who is interested and who they?re going to be interested in. It?s just very unsettling for a coach and his players."

Silas said Chaney needs to look to his players in hopes of being successful enough to remain beyond his interim role.

For Silas, the late Bobby Phills and then-recent trade acquisitions Eddie Jones and Elden Campbell were integral to his team?s success ? and his personal survival.

"I was just lucky to have Bobby Phills," Silas said of the Hornets? forward and team leader. "He was not going to let us fail. And then I was lucky that the trade was made because it gave me some guys that didn?t know anything about this situation but had something to prove."

Phills, who died in a car accident the following year, was the de facto captain of an injury-riddled team that saw Anthony Mason miss the entire season with a torn biceps muscle and top offseason acquisition Derrick Coleman miss 13 games with a variety of injuries.

Plus, when Jones and Campbell were acquired from the Los Angeles Lakers for Glen Rice and two others, the pair played with a vengeance to prove their former team wrong.

"It was still really hard," Silas said of his situation. "But a lot of factors worked in my favor that year."

Most figure that to take the "interim" off his job title Chaney will have to enjoy playoff success with a team that?s not necessarily guaranteed a playoff berth. Silas doesn?t disagree with such a notion.

"It?s really going to be hard for Don or any interim coach," Silas said. "You?re under the miscroscope in that you?re expected to be perfect. There?s just very little margin for error."