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Is Duhon Viable?

by Tommy Dee on October 10th, 2009 at 12:08 pm

We all know the Knicks brass had their sights set on upgrading the the point-guard position only to see far too many obstacles get in the way this off season.What the team is left with is Chris Duhon, a player whose pick-and-roll ability is right on top of the league in terms of efficiency. In fact, it’s not a stretch to say that Duhon and David Lee have John Stockton and Karl Malone-esque telepathy. A stretch? Maybe, but when you see the efficiency of the two, there are few duos who can complete a screen and roll even when the defense is primed to take it away. Simply put, it was the Knicks’ bread and butter last year.

But the butter went sour when Duhon couldn’t stay on the court for the entire season, breaking down as the minutes mounted. Duhon, admittedly, wasn’t prepared for the grind of playing the most minutes of his NBA career, 1,500 more than his last year in Chicago to be exact.

Regardless of what the Knicks failed to do over the summer, they are still very much in favor of Duhon’s ability to lead the team and be Coach Mike D’Antoni’s extension on the floor.

“Donnie was exploring everything, which he should,” D’Antoni told the media during training camp last week. “But there was never any doubt Chris would be the point guard.”

Double talk? Well, I think it speaks more to just how serious the team really thought its chances of landing Jason Kidd were. But it also says that if the team were to have brought in Ramon Sessions, then Duhon would still have been the starter. More.
  • Myles A. Mills

    The answer is no.

  • bob go knicks

    you have to realize that when the KNICKS are playing a scrimmage against themselves,they are for all intent,playing the worst team in the league.so its quite easy for the offense or defense to look efficient at various times.well in other words,its gonna be a long year!..also,the knicks coulda hired a cardboard cut-out of a G.M. just to wait till 2011 til all the contracts ran out and cleared all of the cap space they needed.IMO Walsh has done nothing to make THIS team ,a competetive one.We need players,lots of new ,good players.if you added LBJ to the team that i saw on the court last night VS the CELTICS,we still woulda sucked!

  • bob go knicks

    but to answer the question…NO,duhon would make a decent back up for a team that had a good PG.but a back up is what hell always be.shoulda signed sessions,at least it woulda looked as if walsh was trying to improve the team.anyone can just throw money at all-star players,it doesnt mean that you worked hard to build a great team,……..just means that you have a lot of money

  • Dave the Rave

    Walsh has done as much as any GM in the world could do to help right this deep deep financial disaster. I don’t think he failed to do anything this summer. What can u do without a top 3 draft pick and no talent to trade and a half dozen horrid contracts when u are way over the cap, and with little tradable talent out there now? He has already stripped away a few bad pieces and is building a new team with youth. He has had no money to acquire anyone decent, so I don’t know how anyone could be complaining. He inherited this mess from the incompetent carpetbagger IT. What could he do to make this team more competitive while not blowing the FA signing plan for next year? Nada! No significant upgrades were available. The team is in a far better position than 1 yr ago. This team is 3 yrs minimum away from being a .500 team and there is no way that the Knix could lure LBJ to such a talentless team. Reality bites hard.

    DTR

  • BiggieSmalls

    Duhon is NOT a viable starting championship point guard.Especially when he is relied on for 35 plus minutes a game.

    That is why so many on this site were clamouring for a more agressive play for a young, dynamic starting point guard.

    DTR — I feel ya but i think you are off a bit. DW had TWO Restricted free agents that could have been used in sign and trades, a BIG MONEY insured contract in Mobley and a number of young players and draft picks that could have been used as trade pawns in an off season move.

    Donnie raised the quality of the assets on the team from a 4 to a 6 vut Zeke raised the quality of the assets from a 1 to a 4. Remember the team Zeke inherited? THAT had no real assets to speak of.

    Ive said it before. If Dolan fired Zeke and put a cardboard cutout there ALL zeke’s contracts would have expired in 2011. So to say we are THREE YEARS awat from being a 500 team today isnt a ringing endorement of Donnie.

  • Bart

    The Knicks biggest problem is the 5 spot hands down KP last night beasted on DL and got him 2 or 3 quick fouls bc cant guard 5s its so obvious, Lee doesnt fit in this system anywhere its pointless to still have him on this team.

    Trade for Amare

  • IDunnoMyName

    In fact, it’s not a stretch to say that Duhon and David Lee have John Stockton and Karl Malone-esque telepathy. A stretch? Maybe,

    Which is it?

  • Dave the Rave

    Patience, Biggie……

    DW is clearly not going for 2nd rate fixes and he tried for months but could not get an advantageous deal done. Ya think he had great deals available or would have likes getting ripped off? I don’t. He couldn’t trade Mobley’s contract because no one wanted it. Sessions is maybe 20% better than Duhon and to be a pt guard in NYC u need to be a star, and Sessions will never be one, so why get excited about him? DW is going for stars when the $ is there, instead of perpetuating a mediocrity. This year will suck and it ain’t DW’s fault. No championship this or next year….why do people keep talking about playoffs and a championship as if Santa Claus is coming?

    DTR

  • BiggieSmalls

    the only thing Duhon does better than Sessions is hoist up 40 foot three pointers

    Who says no on ewanted Mobley’s contract? Dont you think in this environment of teams wanting to save money every team in the league would be clamouring for a 9.5 million dollar expiring deal that was 80% paid for by
    insurance???

    Everything about his team is on Donnie. Enough of blaming Zeke. All zeke’s contracts would have expired in 2011 and the only remaining players are EC (who doesnt play) JJ (who plays poorly but gets love), and Lee/Nate (who were RFAs and resigned)

  • joetheknick

    Biggie: Duhon IS a viable starting championship point guard. Trade him to Boston for Scalabrine and House and see how well he does as Boston wins a championship. Probem is we are not Boston. We weren’t Boston when Duhon came to the knicks for 6 million for 2 years. He was and is a viable point guard on a bad team. Duhon is viable but he is not the answer. A couple of superstars like they have in Boston is the answer. A cannot see how trading over this past summer would have really made a difference. Probably could have had Boozer if we wanted to sign him long term and give away future draft picks. Would that make this year a championship year for the Knicks? I don’t think so. We really have no choice but to be patient. Complaining is not going to get it done. IMO

  • Dave the Rave

    If teams were clamoring for Mobley’s contract you think DW was lazy and not willing to do anything to improve the team, which is his job? Why would he do that? I’m sure he had few offers and they were all rotten. There was not much out there this year.

    99% of the stench and mediocrity hanging over this team is a result of several years of mismanagement by IT. DW needs 2 more yrs to clear the mess. You don’t start a whole new regime from scratch with no stars and go to the playoffs in 2 yrs.

    DTR

  • BiggieSmalls

    so you think if Boston swapped Rajon Rondo for Duhon tehy would have still won the chip?

    Completely hypothetical but I say NO WAY> Rondo was as much a huge part of that Celtics Championship team as Pierce, Garnett and Allen.

    No way Duhon could have duplicated what Rondo did in the playoffs that year.

  • Section 40

    I’m not one that can get upset with DW’s approach here. When I saw how the team performed in 2007, I was a big proponent of a 2-3 year rebuilding process (Even before DW was hired)

    He is doing exactly what I wanted, so how can I complain. It was painful to watch them in 2007 (when they had plenty of big contract players) and it’s painful now. I guess I feel better because there seems to be light at the end of this dark tunnel.

    There are two ways to approach a team flooded with big long term contracts. You can trade for even longer big contracts and continue to bring in big time players like Zach Randolph, (Isiah’s approach) or you can trade away those big contracts for whatever you can get. IMO the Crawford for Harrington trade was a great. Since that trade Crawford was traded again to be a back up guard on Atlanta. I think we will get more out of Harrigton than what Crawford can have given us. The ZBO trade was nothing more than clearing a contract…a HUGE contract in 2010..I think he is scheduled to make around $18 million next year…that’s almost the price of a max player.

    Basically I got was I asked for from DW. How can I complain about it? Anyone who was a proponent of a rebuilding plan a couple of years ago should feel the same way. It is what it is…it sucks now, but hopefully this plan will pay dividends in the future.

    Anybody with me on this?

  • BiggieSmalls

    But the “stench and mediocrity hanging over from Zeke” would hae dissapated COMPLETELY in two years if a card board cut out was the GM after Dolan fired Zeke.

    EVERY contract Zeke added was set to expire in 2011. If you really believe it will take 2 more years to “clear the mess” then what value added did DOnnie bring to the table?

    I didnt characterize Donnie as Lazy and not willing to improve the team. Those are your words. But in an environment where teams wanted to cut expenses and get expirng deals dont you think a 9.5 million dollar deal that was 80% paid by insurance was valuable?

    You originally said DW had no valuable commodities to move in the off season and can not be blamed for the lack of improvement in this team..

    I pointed out several in response.

  • Mucha

    I really don’t like the way Donnie Walsh has built the roster through the draft.

    I mean it’s simple – the Knicks’ biggest needs are the point guard and the shooting guard positions – they have no talent whatsoever from that perspective except an undersized/immature/unpredictable virtuoso (I love Nate though).

    And you all know that I got love for Gallinari (obviously) and Hill but they passed on Eric Superstar Gordon, DJ Augustin, Demar DeRozan and Brandon Jennings who’d all be in the starting line-up today.

    And I didn’t like Jennings’ attitude and I still don’t (he’s a knucklehead) – but he’s a starter for the Milwaukee Bucks. Drafting Jennings would have been a “high risk high reward” decision because Stephon Marbury’s legacy is embarassing – but isn’t a prospect like Jordan Hill a bigger gamble? Why did they draft Hill if they KNEW that he was not ready to contribute (do we need that to attract free agents)?

    I mean – looking at the big picture – we’re trying to get LeBron James who’d be a 3/4 in this system. The only enticing players that we have play the same positions (Gallo/Chandler, Hill/Lee). And we’re still looking for a point guard.

  • Dave the Rave

    I’m with ya Sec 40. No one can make a miracle happen in 2 years. DW has been around long enuf to know you have to lay the foundation and take solid steps. The last regime was the most reckless in NY sports history. DW is playing the only cards he has and doing it wisely so far. Next summer will start to look rosy with FA’s available.

    DTR

  • Mucha

    By the way I’m not hating on both picks but either one of them should have been different.

    I think everything would be fine with Eric Gordon and Jordan Hill or Danilo Gallinari and Brandon Jennings. Eric Gordon would have been EXTREMELY enticing, Gallinari has yet to prove that he can really be a star in this league and that he can play with LeBron James in the same line-up ’cause he’s slow-footed and he’s not strong enough to be a PF.

    Peace.

  • Mucha

    Donnie Walsh did a brilliant job shipping Zach Randolph and Jamal Crawford for “I Get Buckets” (one of the freshest players in the league IMO). He did a great job from a financial standpoint.

    But he didn’t play particularly well with his cards – I mean he had the 6th pick in a GREAT GREAT GREAT draft plus another lottery pick. Like I said, he could have put the Knicks in the driver’s seat (regarding LeBron James) but he didn’t.

  • joetheknick

    Biggie: Why would Boston trade Rondo? I said Scalabrine and House. Be reasonable. You already said Duhon is not Rondo. I agree. I do not know if there is a player on the Knicks equal to Rondo’s talent. Certainly not Mobley’s expiring contract.

  • J_Starks3

    I agree with you Mucha. I don’t think DW has done as good a job as he could’ve done in the draft. That is NOT saying these guys (Gallo, Hill, Douglas) will be busts but Gordon and Jennings would have filled holes that this team has now. This years draft was really upsetting for me because I am a BIG Jennings fan. I think that he is a special PG in this league for years to come. I do believe that if LBJ comes to MSG and wears a home jersey all of this talk will be pointless because as we all know LeBron is a special kind of player that make gold out of garbage.

  • BiggieSmalls

    you missed your own point.

    you said if Duhon was the starting PG on the Celtics they would still be a championship team. . The starting PG on the Celtics is Rajon Rondo so that means if Duhon replaced Rondo they would still be a championship team in your opinion/.

    I disagree.

    I didnt say they would TRADE rondo. They would not because he is vastly superior to most starting PGs in the league and a big reason WHY boston won the chip.

    regardless, To say Boston would have still won a championship with Duhon as the PG is completely unprovable.

    Fact of the matter is every playoff team last year had a better primary ball handler than Chris Duhon.

  • Bart

    I don’t knock the Gallo pick so much but Jennings was right there and we needed a PG he fits Mike Dopes systems perfectly hes a fast break pass first PG with swagger perfect for NY. With the 29th we could have picked Budinger.

  • BiggieSmalls

    budiger could have been had with a second rounder.

    I was a big proponent of buying a second rounder or two and taking Chase and/or Patty Mills.

    Getting The Lakers pick for 3 mil DW decided to take a nap and call it a day.

  • gr33nbag

    Tommy,

    I am curious what is your opinion. Honestly in how many NBA teams Cris would be a starting PG? Some names if possible.

    Regrards,

  • J_Starks3

    Good question and the answer is NONE.

  • BiggieSmalls

    In the East the Pistons and Pacers are the only teams where Duhon could be the starter

    But the Pistons are committed to Rodney Stuckey and the Pacers got TJ Ford.

    The Sixers just drafted Jrue Holliday and the Bucks got Brandon Jennings.

    Every other team in the East has a player miles better

    Celtics – Rajon Rondo
    Nets Devin Harris
    Raptors – Calderon
    Bulls – D Rose
    Cavs Mo Williams
    Hawks – Mike Bibby
    Bobcats – Felton
    Heat – Wade
    Magic – Jameer Nelson
    Wiz – Agent Zero./

    The West is the same only more elite PGs

    Duhon could definitely start on the Rockets to be fair

  • Jeff Cykiert

    Are you more concerned with getting someone who can start right away, even if they don’t end up being the allstar PG we need, or would you rather pick the player with the bigger long-term upside. I think both Galo and Hill were picked not because they could come in and start right away (that doesn’t mean anything, it doesn’t matter what happens this year unless that pick is a superstar and wins rookie of the year) but because they had the best chance of becoming the most valuable player (not MVP literally) in the long run.

    Yea, derozan fills a void for the time being and could start, but would u have faith that he could actually become an allstar? I think he would start off as a starter and a decent wing-man, and stay that way for a while, where as Galo, (and even hill) aren’t huge impact players right away but have a much bigger upside.

  • Jeff Cykiert

    And I’m not saying i wouldn’t have loved to have A. Randolph, but retro-spect is always 20-20.

    Eric gordon could put up 20 point games for us here and there, and pretty much be another version of nate and actually have an impact his rookie year, but again, where does that lead? I don’t see him becoming a special player by any stretch.

  • Jeff Cykiert

    How did the knicks have any control over that? Are you just labeling Jennings and Holiday elite point guards automatically? The most likely outcome is that either one of them becomes a decent starter. There’s no reason to think either will be a big deal.

    I think their mentality was that if they are going for a point guard, he better be a big deal, and if not you draft for who you think will end up being the most influential player.

    And BTW, you said the only thing duhon does better than sessions is hoist up 40 foot three pointers… It seems like your just picking your words carefully to prove your point, but the truth is that duhon shot over 39% from three last year on over 4 attempts per game, and that is as important as any characteristic you can find in a D’Antoni PG. In fact, that is vital, and i think sessions hit somehting like 12 3 pointers his hole career.

  • BiggieSmalls

    His three attempts are mostly waaaaay beyond the arc and I admit that he does that better than sessions.

    I was merely trying to answer the question.

    The question was on how many teams would Duhon be the starter.
    The answer league wide is maybe 9 (Rockets, Mermphis, Lakers, TWolves, Pistons, Pacers, Sixers, Bucks, Kings) and that is being generous with the Lakers. And on the Wolves, Kings, Bucks, Pistons, Sixers have players with a higher upside.

    He is bottom quartile in terms of physical talent, skills and upside.

  • J_Starks3

    Really Biggie????
    Duhon is better than derek fisher, TJ ford and Chancey Stuckey……….wow. We have an all star and didn’t even know it.

    I hope you were Joking. Right????

  • http://theKnicksBlog.com Tommy Dee

    Big you’re too smart to keep ignoring the simple fact that 2010 has been the plan since day 1.

    and you are ignoring it.

  • BiggieSmalls

    im down with 2010. that is not the issue

    Im saying that 2010 should be the goal. Not 2011 or 2012 or 2 more years to clear this stench.

    Cause separately from .2010 the stench would have cleared on its own in 2011.

    And I just expected more than Donnie sitting on his hands until he can call Lebron on July 1, 2010. I kind of expected mixing things up a bit more from last year.

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