Sherod at Ease Relaying Knicks' Plays

There are few plays the Knicks run that are not called from the bench by Hubie Brown, one of the few National Basketball Association coaches who dictates almost every play. His instructions are usually directed through Ed Sherod, the rookie playmaker on the court.

As Sherod constantly looks toward the bench, coaches and players on opposing teams must wonder if the Knicks, with so many seasoned pros on the roster, are being overcoached. One opposing player, who asked not to be identified, recently said he stole the ball from Sherod in a key situation while Sherod was paying more attention to his coach than the ball.

But Sherod, who directs the Knicks with the easiness that is reflected in his voice, said yesterday that he was used to having his coach call the plays.

''J.D. Barnett, my college coach, did the same thing,'' said Sherod, who went to Virginia Commonwealth, where he was a four-year starter and led the Sun Belt Conference in assists as a junior and senior. ''Hubie calls all the plays, and it doesn't bother me. When I'm looking towards the sidelines, I still see the floor. Sometimes he wants us to walk the ball up, so that even gives me more time. If that's what the coach wants, you do it. Every coach is not the same.'' Won't Face Playoff Pressure

Sherod, despite his professional inexperience, is one of the few pluses in a dismal season for the Knicks, who lost to the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night, 108-90.

The Knicks' record dropped to 12-22, the fifth worst in the N.B.A. The Knicks are faced with one of their earliest playoff eliminations in their history. Six teams make the playoffs in each conference, and the Knicks trailed Atlanta, which had the Eastern Conference's sixthbest record, by five games and Detroit by four and a half after Saturday night. Even last season's Knicks were 17-16 at this point.