The first thing reporters saw when they entered the gym at the Knicks' first practice at training camp yesterday was a hobbled Jerome James being helped off the court after tearing a ligament in his right foot, David Waldstein of the Newark Star-Ledger is reporting.

Moments later there was Jared Jeffries, the Knicks' big off-season acquisition, missing three consecutive free throws, including one air ball, which forced the rest of the team to do three additional wind sprints. That led to an exhausted Eddy Curry, the franchise big man, being helped down the court by Quentin Richardson and David Lee during the grueling running drills.

"We've got a ways to go," coach Isiah Thomas said, "a long way to go."

Thomas ran the team through its first official practice yesterday at the College of Charleston, and aside from the injuries to James and Malik Rose (hamstring), Jeffries' display of poor foul shooting, and Curry's difficult morning, it seemed to be a fairly typical first practice as Thomas took the whistle for the first time since he was fired by the Pacers after the 2003 season.