"The coach preached all week, 'Let's not turn the ball over,"' Portis said.

"Practice your free throws," coaches have preached ever since.

Afterward, the first-year coach, Alvin Gentry, preached what will surely be this season's mantra: patience.

"If there's one thing our coach preaches, it's mental toughness," Brady said.

MacLeod is a proven winner, but it does not matter who is coaching the Knicks if they do not practice what the coach preaches.

His basic but sound power moves, the kind of no-frills approach his coach preaches, inspired an image from Chaney's childhood.

Our coaches preach when we have a chance to make the play, we make the play.

Their coach, now resigned, preached, "Work hard, play hard."

He realized the potential conflict: how can coaches preach values like loyalty and doing what is best for the team when they're little more than nickel-chasing mercenaries?

Their coaches preach that but do the opposite.