Throughout practice today, Jeff Van Gundy pushed the Knicks hard, pounding into them again and again the defensive mentality that they need and have lacked at times in the preseason. But never once did he mention the assignment that will face the team when the real season begins Tuesday.

The subject of Michael Jordan and the Washington Wizards was left for another day, a time when the Knicks' own problems had been solved. If the Knicks could not slow down the Nets in their final preseason game, a 100- 84 loss on Thursday, could not handle the likes of Kenyon Martin and Todd MacCulloch, how could they think about the return of the greatest player the game has seen?

The task for the Knicks today was to remedy their own ills.