Knicks in search of the right strategy

Sometimes, there are elements of the good old days that are missing in today’s NBA. Like absorbing elbows, and punches and getting knocked on your butt.

“Part of the strategy in basketball that’s changed over the years is nobody gets the other team in foul trouble,” Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek said Thursday. “This pick-and-roll stuff where guys are just jacking 3’s all the time, all that leads to is jump shots. Some nights you’re going to make them and you’re going to win. Other nights, you’re not going to make them and you’re going to lose.”

And you know the old adage, never foul a jump shooter.

“So we’ve got to find that mix where we can pound it inside to some of our guys who have the advantage, draw some fouls, get in the bonus early,” Hornacek said — hey, he played with Karl Malone in Utah who could foul out an army of players on a given night. “It puts a little pressure on the defense to try to guard you without fouling. So we have to do a better job of trying to do that. On the other side, we can’t have silly fouls early in quarters. Because then it works the reverse side, it takes away you’re aggressiveness.”

It looked as ugly on film as it did in real life. But Derrick Rose said one thing stood out after a re- view of video of the season-opening loss to Cleveland.

“Turnovers. We turned the ball over, got them in the open court and with guys in this league, you let them get a layup or two and it builds their confidence and it’s hard to shut them off,” Rose said of the 117-88 thumping in which the Knicks turnovers (18) outnumbered assists (17).

Part of the rotten ball movement on opening night, Hornacek surmised, might have been due to one LeBron James.

“With LeBron running all over the place and his abilities, sometimes guys get tentative about throwing passes when he’s around. So that can be part of it too. So we’ve got to bounce back the next game,” Hornacek said.