I'm a native of Los Angeles, yet for some reason I always find myself watching a majority of the Knicks games on television. This season, I've watched the new look Knicks under Mike D'Antoni and have been scratching my head with a few things. The number one thing is the benching of Stephon Marbury.
Say what you will about Marbury, but he is an immensely better point guard than Chris Duhon. D'Antoni's system needs a point guard that can push the ball, penetrate and dish. Duhon does none of those things well. This became very clear to me last night when the Knicks would have great spacing, but couldn't get open shots because their point guard couldn't penetrate, draw defenders, and kick out to open shooters or cutters. The only time this happened in the entire game was when Nate Robinson was handling the point guard duties.
Last night the Knicks were +10 when Lil' Nate was handling the point position and an atrocious -19 when Duhon was handling the point guard duties. Duhon finished the game with 6 points, 3 assists, and two turnovers on 2-6 shooting in 37 minutes of play. Duhon is averaging 6.7 points, 4.3 assists, and 1.67 turnovers per game. He's also shooting thirty percent from the field. The shooting percentage is slightly off, but these are right around Duhon's career numbers. And that is with him playing more minutes in a system that is supposed to promote offensive efficiency. You can't tell me that Marbury wouldn't be a better solution at this point.
Mike D'Antoni keeps saying that he doesn't want to play Marbury because he needs to take a look at the future. Duhon is the future? Guy is a backup trying to play starters minutes. The only places in the league he could possibly do damage as a starter are in L.A. or Cleveland where he would just be asked to be a spot up shooter and defender. But in a system where the point guard is the focal point, Duhon is going to fail. As well, Duhon is only on a two year deal, so it's obvious the Knicks are not really committed to him long term either. I'm just not seeing D'Antoni's logic here.
Steph is not the long term solution, but neither is Duhon. D'Antoni says he is trying to set the foundation for his system. I think playing someone with the skills to actually run the system would help set that foundation better than playing Duhon. By all accounts, Steph is in great shape and has come in more focused than he has in years. So what's the harm in playing him? Don't be surprised if we start hearing more "We want Steph" chants at the Garden throughout the season.
Do You Really Think Chris Duhon is a Better Solution Than Stephon Marbury? originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Mon, 03 Nov 2008 11:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.
