quick glance at some of the New York newspapers indicates that at least some younger Knicks players were either unhappy, confused — or both — in their lone season under fired coach Larry Brown.

Brown and the players had been under a gag order while the Knicks' brass — namely chairman James Dolan and team president Isiah Thomas — worked out a pink-slip plan for the veteran coach.

The players, however, were free to speak with the news media from a recent summer league practice in Las Vegas.

Point guard Nate Robinson was one of three rookies whose floor time was varied to say the least.

"Coach Brown is so old-school," Robinson told the New York Post. "He wants everything done just like this, not getting the crowd involved. Isiah wants everyone to have fun.

"At first he (Brown) was trying to take my joy (away) — don't do this, don't do that. At the same time I had people in my corner saying, 'Don't ever change who you are. You got here by being who you are. By being Nate Robinson,'" he said.

Forward Channing Frye showed considerable promise as he averaged 12.3 points and 5.7 rebounds under Brown last season. But the former University of Arizona star told the New York Daily News that the season was a "giant circus" and that Thomas, as the new head coach, has provided "positive reinforcement."

It sounds as if forward David Lee tried to go with the flow. But here's the problem: There was no such thing.

"Toward the end of the season it was so up and down," Lee reportedly told The Post. "I told myself when I get on the floor just make the most of the opportunity because I didn't really understand what was going on.

And it appears that Lee did not try too hard to figure out Brown's unpredictable substitution patterns.

"I didn't ask too many questions," Lee said. "I couldn't figure out what was going on. It's a lot easier to play when you know what's expected out of you. I think things will change that way and people will have a better idea of what they're supposed to do."

Brown, when he was contacted for comment by The Post said, "I'm not getting into any of that. I'm just trying to move on with my life."