Since it became clear on the first day of Knicks training camp that Larry Johnson would retire, the assumption has been that Kurt Thomas would inherit Johnson's starting spot at power forward. Thomas, coming off his best season as a pro, seemed poised to do something special in his new role.

But Thomas, a seven-year veteran, may not have a new role after all. Coach Jeff Van Gundy said on Sunday that Thomas could continue in his longtime role of coming off the bench.

"I'm not sure how we're going to start at four and five, minus Marcus," Van Gundy said, referring to the power forward slot and his injured center, Marcus Camby. "I just want to see how everything plays out. I would say Kurt most likely will be our starter, but I wouldn't want to say that right now."

If a demotion takes place, it will not be