Mike Brown says Mohamed Diawara looked "jittery" last season and played everything at one speed, but the Year 2 version has a better cadence and is talking to teammates from the back of the defense, Posting and Toasting reports from Tarrytown. Brown also named the preseason checklist: boxing out every time, offensive rebounding, and sprinting corner to corner in transition, with mistakes from the new guys fine as long as the next play comes fast. Practices now end with a must-make free throw and everyone runs if it misses, a trick he borrowed from Pop, and Tony Bradley hit the last one Saturday to a round of love from the group. The better story is Brown's August: a family of Knicks fans in full gear trailed him home from a red light, rolled up his driveway, and presented a box of cereal while he was still in his helmet and sunglasses, blasting country music. Brown called it scary, noted the dad was more fired up than the kids, and decided it proved the championship was special.