New York Knicks center Eddy Curry practiced for the first time this season Monday after he was sidelined last week because of a bacterial infection.

Curry missed the Knicks' entire training camp in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., leaving his hotel room only for visits to Saratoga Hospital. That cost him valuable time as he tries to grasp new coach Mike D'Antoni's system.

"It was tough," Curry said. "It's definitely going to take some hard work to get back in the flow of things, but it's training camp, it's preseason and I've got time to get where I need to be."

Curry said his temperature reached 104 degrees during the week and he needed six IV's during his last trip to the hospital. He still felt groggy Sunday before deciding to take part in the Knicks' first practice at their training facility.

"You can't judge him today. You're not going to be able to judge him. You've got to give him at least a week or two to get his legs and everything, but it's just good to have him on the floor," D'Antoni said.

D'Antoni said Curry will likely come off the bench when the Knicks visit Toronto on Wednesday in their preseason opener. Curry said he still sees himself as New York's starter, even though D'Antoni's system will be an adjustment for the 6-foot-11, 285-pound center.

MAVS PROMOTE WESTPHAL: Former NBA head coach Paul Westphal was hired as the Mavericks' executive vice president of basketball operations on Monday.

Westphal, who was a Dallas assistant coach last season, will assist general manager Donnie Nelson and work in scouting.

When Westphal was hired before last season to be on former coach Avery Johnson's staff he had been out of the NBA since being fired as Seattle's coach 15 games into the 2000-01 season. He had a 267-159 record as coach for Phoenix (1992-95) and Seattle (1998-2000), leading the Suns to the 1993 NBA finals in his first full season.

Westphal was already under contract with the Mavericks this season but wasn't part of new coach Rick Carlisle's staff.

Westphal won an NBA title as a player with the Boston Celtics in 1974 and was a five-time All-Star. He was Pepperdine's head coach from 2001-06.

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