Rose adjusting

**spurschick** · 10-22-2005

http://www.newsday.com/sports/basket...ball-headlines

BY GREG LOGAN
STAFF CORRESPONDENT

October 22, 2005

DALLAS - When he was home last summer in San Antonio, it was hard for Malik Rose to go out in public without being stopped by fans who congratulated him for the Spurs' NBA le win over Detroit.

As if being traded to the Knicks in February wasn't difficult enough, he constantly was reminded of what he missed.

"It was so weird," Rose said Friday night. "People would say, 'You guys did great. I'm happy for you.' I'm like, 'But I was traded weeks ago.'"

During the course of more than seven seasons and two previous le runs with the Spurs, Rose became a fan favorite in San Antonio. Now he's returning for the first time as a Knick in a preseason game Saturday night at SBC Center. A career backup with the Spurs, Rose is in contention for the starting power forward job.

In the Knicks' 86-85 loss to Dallas at American Airlines Center, the starting power forward was Antonio Davis in his first game as a Knick. That was all right with Rose, who was rested but is expected to see considerable time Saturday night, when he will be matched against best friend Tim Duncan.

"I really don't place a lot of importance on starting," Rose said. "I want to be out there the last six minutes of the fourth quarter."

The field at the "four" position is crowded, with Rose, veterans Davis and Maurice Taylor and rookies Channing Frye and David Lee all in the mix.

Davis got off to a solid start with six points and seven rebounds and made an impact on defense as the Knicks held Dallas to 33 first-half points after giving up 66 in the first half of their previous game against the 76ers. Taylor also had a good night with 11 points and five rebounds.

At 6-7, Rose is the shortest of the power forwards, which presents a matchup problem against 7-footers such as Duncan and the Mavs' Dirk Nowitzki, who totaled 14 points and eight rebounds Friday night.

"I've been playing guys like that all my life," Rose insisted. "I'm not worried about that."

As a member of the Spurs' championship teams in 1999 and 2003, Rose is the only Knick who knows what it takes to win a ring. If there's one thing that hurt about the trade from San Antonio, it's that Rose knew what he was missing. It was tough for him to watch the playoffs.

"I felt proud of them and happy for them as friends," Rose said. "But then I was, not jealous in a bad way, but I just was wishing I had been there ... It did take me a while to accept that reality, but that's over with now."

Notes & quotes: Chauncey Billups was quoted in Sports Illustrated saying that "so many times, it was just about" Brown last season and that the players didn't receive enough credit for winning a le with him in 2004 and before losing in Game 7 of the NBA Finals last June. "Chauncey won the MVP in the ['04 Finals], and we won a championship," Brown said. "I think a lot of those guys did pretty well because of the fact that we won. I'm proud of that. I don't get caught up in what comes out after a coach leaves ... I know my relationship with those players is strong." ... Dallas opened the second half with a 12-0 run to take a 45-44 lead. The Knicks shot 1-for-9 from the field and had nine points in the period ... Trevor Ariza led the Knicks with 13 points. Josh Howard had 21 for the Mavs ... The Knicks committed 30 turnovers.