GREENBURGH, N.Y. — David Fizdale has been adamant since he was hired as the Knicks' head coach that nobody's name is guaranteed to be in the starting lineup.

Instead, those coveted roles would have to be earned.

So as the Knicks opened training camp on Tuesday, that competition led to an intense practice for a team filled with young players vying for jobs.

"That was the fun part of today," Fizdale said. "They all have a little taste for going after it. I think the fairness of it is what creates that competition, if you have a fair shot to earn minutes and earn a starting spot. You can’t help but bring energy to that knowing you’re going to get a chance."

That was the tone Fizdale set for the first practice of the season.

Some position battles are more intriguing than others, particularly at point guard where Frank Ntilikina, Trey Burke and Emmanuel Mudiay will fight for the starting job.

The Knicks also have to determine who their starting power forward will be as Kristaps Porzingis continues to recover from ACL surgery. Mario Hezonja, Lance Thomas and Noah Vonleh will be in the mix for that spot.

Porzingis stayed involved as much as he could during Tuesday's practice, whether it was making some passes, rebounds or talking to coaches.

"It was fun to watch him get engaged with the guys," Fizdale said. "It’s a tough time for him. So we’re going to surround him with a lot of love and keep his spirits up because he really wants to be out there with us."

But Porzingis will be limited for the foreseeable future.

For now, plenty of attention will be paid to Kevin Knox and Mitchell Robinson, the Knicks' two draft picks who are trying to grab starting jobs.

Knox has a strong case to be in the starting lineup but he's accepting the competition.

"You can definitely tell throughout the whole practice. Nobody’s loafing, nobody’s slacking off," Knox said. "Everyone’s going at each other. That’s what’s going to make it competitive this year, this whole training camp. Everyday we’re going to get after it, so I think Fiz’s message is nobody’s starting right now so everybody’s trying to work for that job."

Fizdale said the ninth overall pick had a good first practice.

"He competed hard," Fizdale said. "He made some nice plays. I’m mentally prepared for these young guys to go through this roller coaster. I’m not going to go on the roller coaster with them. I’m going to stay even, understanding what they’re going through and coach them through it."

While Knox has a good chance at being in the starting five, Robinson will have a tougher time cracking the lineup.

The Knicks' 36th overall pick is still raw after not having played college basketball. He performed well during summer league, but playing at that level in an NBA regular season is a greater challenge.

Still, Robinson isn't counting himself out of a starting job.

"I’m going to definitely give a little run for it," Robinson said. "If Coach needs me there, I’m going to have to be there."

Both Knox and Fizdale spoke highly about Robinson's work ethic. Still, he's a work in progress.

Fizdale said Robinson made some mistakes, such as being out of position or being off balance on his switches.

Overall, Fizdale wasn't concerned.

"He thinks about things, so he comes in and asks great questions to our coaching staff," Fizdale said. "He’s starting to learn how to watch film. I just feel like this kid is going to take off with this kind of structure."

The Knicks had a good practice, but it was still only Day One. There's a long way to go for the entire roster.

But it was a competitive first day fueled in part by battles for starting jobs.

"It’s a good message for us," Knox said. "Now we have to come out, we gotta fight every day in practice."

Knicks sign Walker

The Knicks officially signed Tyrius Walker on Tuesday. Walker was on the Knicks' summer league roster and played well, averaging 6.3 points, 2.0 assists and 1.7 rebounds in three games.

Walker was undrafted out of Morehouse College.

Email: iseman@northjersey.com

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