New York Knicks head coach David Fizdale brought Ben Wallace to practice on Thursday.

Wallace worked with New York's big men and gave lessons on defending the paint.

Fizdale, entering his second season as the head coach of the Knicks, wants New York to be a tough-minded team which has a “will to win.”

Wallace is the perfect guy to help the Knicks establish a defensive identity. Wallace won the Defensive Player of the Year Award four times during his NBA career and made the All-Defensive team on six occasions.

The Knicks have some gritty guys on the team. Julius Randle, Bobby Portis, Taj Gibson and Marcus Morris never shy away from contact and are always ready to do the dirty work inside. The Knicks may not win a lot of games this season, but they are surely not going to be a soft team which lays down the second adversity hits.

New York had the worst record in the league last season. After signing seven veterans in free agency to pair with the young core, the Knicks expect to be more competitive this season. If the players can play with the edge and spirit Wallace brought every night during his playing days, the Knicks should be a tough team to play against.