"Do I have a line or date? I don't," Van Gundy said. "I'm thinking more about how we handled a 2-2-1 zone today.

"Eddie's an important piece to the future of the franchise. I don't think this in any way diminishes that. Like I said many times before, this is a guy (who) in my short time here, I like. He's incapable of saying anything but the truth, so he tells you the truth. I love that about him. I find him easy to talk to. I think he understands his responsibilities, not only to himself but to his team."