Previewing the New York Knicks' 5 Biggest Training Camp Battles

Training camp is always an important part of any sport—especially basketball—but this year's camp will take on an extra importance for the New York Knicks, who will look to build the chemistry that has eluded them over the last year and a half.

This year's camp marks the first with Mike Woodson as head coach, as well as the first full camp with the "big three" together along with true point guards like Jason Kidd and Raymond Felton.

As always, camp should bring with it some interesting battles, and though the Knicks know who their key players are, some smaller roles may be up for grabs.

Here are the Knicks' five biggest battles heading into training camp, including some starting positions and a few roles on the bench.

Raymond Felton vs. Jason Kidd vs. Pablo Prigioni

Besides the 25-game stretch of Linsanity, the point guard position was a real problem for the Knicks last season.

Mike Bibby and Toney Douglas simply were not good enough, and injuries stopped Baron Davis from doing too much, even if he looked relatively good in his few appearances.

This season, though, fans should be happy to hear that they have now three point guards on the roster capable of giving the Knicks exactly what they need.

Right now, it seems pretty clear cut that Raymond Felton will start with Jason Kidd backing him up, but after his play in the Olympics, Pablo Prigioni may just vault himself into the conversation, too.

Despite his age, Prigioni is a durable point guard whose sole intention on the court is to find the open man.

With Ronnie Brewer and Iman Shumpert out with injuries, the emergence of Prigioni could lead the Knicks to move Jason Kidd to shooting guard, especially considering his touch from outside.

Such a move would leave the starting role open for either Prigioni or Felton, at which point it comes down to who fits better with the rest of the starting five.

Chris Copeland vs. Kurt Thomas

After an impressive display in the 2012 summer league, Chris Copeland now has a chance to crack the Knicks' rotation behind Amar'e Stoudemire.

The power forward position is relatively weak for the Knicks, and the only real competition Copeland should face will be from veteran forward-center Kurt Thomas.

At this point in his career, Thomas is still very much capable of playing up to 15 minutes in a rotation, and he's a guy who'll play physical basketball and use up three or more fouls per game.

Copeland's selling point as a better option than Thomas really centers around his much more diversified offensive game, but it is questionable whether or not the Knicks will really need that with Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire already starting at the forward spots.

His youth also could be to his advantage—and the energy that comes with it—but it will be interesting to see if he brings enough to the table to earn a role.

J.R. Smith vs. Ronnie Brewer

With Landry Fields off to Toronto and Iman Shumpert out injured, the starting shooting guard spot is up for grabs.

In his career, Smith has often been utilized as a sixth man, capable of bringing a spark off the bench in moderation, though he has showcased some surprisingly good defense more recently.

But with the shooting guard situation as it is, Smith may well become a full-time starter for the first time in his career if he can prove himself worthy in training camp.

New signing Ronnie Brewer will be the biggest obstacle in Smith's pursuit of the role, but after a meniscus tear, he'll only be back in action about halfway through the preseason.

If Smith can take advantage of his head start and Brewer is slow to recover from his surgery, Smith may just win the battle—at least for the first few games of the season.

Steve Novak vs. James White

There is no doubt right now that Steve Novak will play a bigger role on the Knicks than James White, but there is a chance that White could steal some minutes from Novak if he can prove himself to be the more well-rounded forward.

Novak really doesn't bring much other than shooting, and at times the Knicks may want to go with someone who can provide a bit more on the boards and on defense, as well as on offense inside the three-point line.

Based on his horrible summer league performance, White hasn't proven himself capable of doing these things much better than Novak can, but he will have one final opportunity in training camp.

The more serious atmosphere—as well as being surrounded by better players—may bring out the best in White, as he looks to prove that he belongs in the NBA.

Chris Smith vs. the Odds

Eyebrows were raised when the Knicks decided to offer Chris Smith a contract last month after an underwhelming showing in the summer league.

The Knicks really weren't in need of an under-sized version of his brother J.R., and the only real reason the Knicks signed him was as part of the deal that brought J.R. back for so little money.

Smith will probably end up in the D-League once the season starts, but he does have a camp invite and thus a chance—albeit a small one—to make the final roster.

The Louisville product is probably the last guard on the roster Mike Woodson would give any minutes to, but there's still always that chance that he could come out of nowhere and surprise people.