Las Vegas ? Simply put, nothing in their basketball experience could have prepared Channing Frye, David Lee and Nate Robinson for their wild and wacky rookie year under Larry Brown.

The Knicks fired the 65-year-old Hall of Fame coach two weeks ago with $40 million remaining on his contract, and the first player comments since then left little doubt former Kansas University coach Brown lost control of the team.

Naturally, the Knicks’ trio of 2005 first-round picks praised team president/coach Isiah Thomas Wednesday for his positive approach and clear definition of roles in the first four days of practice by the Knicks’ summer-league team, which begins play today.

But Frye said last year under Brown was a “circus;” Lee questioned his midseason benching and Robinson, whose showmanship upset Brown, said it felt like the coach “was trying to take my joy.”

Frye, who made the NBA all-rookie team in limited playing time, pulled no punches when asked to compare Brown and Thomas.

“It’s not even comparable,” Frye said. “It’s just a positive environment every day. I’m happy Isiah is here and very excited about what we can do with the guys we have. I was excited for a change. It’s going to bring some ‘positivity’ to the team.”

According to persons with knowledge of Knicks player exit interviews in April, the players were near-unanimous in their condemnation of Brown’s methods during a 23-59 season. Certainly, Brown wanted to make drastic roster changes to get his kind of players, but he used a league-record 42 different starting lineups.

“If I told you to do something different every day at the newspaper or the TV station, how would it work out?” Frye said of Brown’s roster roulette.

“But that was his coaching style and he made the decisions he made, and our record showed it.” The on-and-off feud between Brown and point guard Stephon Marbury had a negative impact in Frye’s estimation.

“Thank God, we have Isiah right now and there’s not as much media attention on what’s happening between the coach and Steph,” said Frye, who is fully recovered from a sprained left knee suffered near the end of the season.

“It was a weird year between the media and what was going on with the team. Everything was just a giant circus.”

Robinson said he felt he was in a “tug of war” with Brown, who described him as “a highlight reel, not a point guard.”

While Thomas has given Robinson a simple blueprint to follow, the 5-9 point guard claimed Brown gave him conflicting instructions from day to day.

Maybe Brown, who won a national title at Kansas and NBA crown in Detroit, had a long-term plan.

His way was successful at every other stop in a 34-year coaching career, just not with the New Ork Knicks.

“He did what he felt was best, and it just didn’t work out,” Frye said. “I’m not saying if it was good or bad. It just seems like Isiah’s the right person for us right now.”