With additional talent comes additional worries, which is a lesson that Knicks coach Lenny Wilkens may be learning first hand if his entire backcourt is healthy and he has problems finding minutes for newcomer Jamal Crawford.  Wilkens, however, is prepared for such a situation and accordingly can placate their playing time concerns by telling them a quarter century-old success story.

"I had Gus Williams and Dennis Johnson and Fred Brown," Wilkens recalled Thursday of the Seattle SuperSonics team he coached in 1978-79. "We won a championship, and everybody was happy with their minutes."

Crawford is a combo guard capable of playing the point or shooting guard, but Stephon Marbury is the incumbent playmaker and Allan Houston is the team's best outside shooting threat.

If Houston's achy knees are healthy enough to allow him to play by the time the season begins Nov. 3, Crawford will find himself in the same unhappy position he was in last season with the Bulls - coming off the bench.

"It'll all work itself out," said Wilkens.  "I think we have a whole lot more depth now, and it should pay off. Right now, we're approaching camp in a real positive mode. We're excited about it."