Knicks sign Chris Duhon.

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Duhon signs on for challenge with Knicks

BY ALAN HAHN | alan.hahn@newsday.com
July 10, 2008

Chris Duhon will wear No. 1 on his uniform, but the question that remains is will he be the Knicks No. 1 point guard this coming season?

Knicks president Donnie Walsh said no assurances were given to Duhon about a starting role, which Duhon confirmed, but Walsh also sidestepped the issue regarding the incumbent, Stephon Marbury, and his uncertain future with the team.

"I haven't projected it that far," Walsh said of the Marbury situation. "Right now, the players that are on this team are on this team. We're trying to fill in the blanks and give ourselves guys that can fit on this team and contribute to the team."

Duhon doesn't see Marbury's presence as a threat to his plans to be the starting point guard. "As far as I know he's still on the team," he said. "I'm looking forward to competing against him."

The 25-year-old former Duke standout took an offer - a mid-level exception contract of two years and $11,616,800 - from the 23-win Knicks over the same amount of money to be Jameer Nelson's backup with the up-and-coming Orlando Magic. A curious decision that even Duhon admits goes against conventional wisdom.

"It's a challenge," Duhon said yesterday during a news conference at the Garden. "I mean, were the Knicks one of the best teams in the league? No, not at all. But the opportunity to be part of change is great and something I look forward to."

Duhon also said the decision came down to playing for Mike D'Antoni "and the opportunity to compete for a starting job and the opportunity to play in a system that will help elevate my game."

Two issues chased Duhon to New York from Chicago, where he was a starter as a rookie but has mostly been a backup over the past three seasons. The first involves his inability to maintain a consistent role in the Bulls rotation - "I couldn't really find my niche there," he said - and the other involves his penchant for enjoying the nightlife during the season. Among NBA players, Duhon has a reputation for partying.

"My personal life is my personal life," Duhon said. "My main focus here is to compete and make the New York Knicks a better team. That's my main goal and focus. I don't really comment about anything like that."

The Knicks are now at the NBA maximum of 15 players on the roster, but it doesn't mean Walsh is done doing business this summer. "We've got the rest of the summer to see what's out there and what we can do to make the team better," he said, with shooting listed as a priority.

David Lee was a hot name on the rumor mill in the days leading up to the NBA Draft but since then talks about him have cooled. Lee and Nate Robinson, who are heading into the final years of their rookie contracts, are looking for long-term extensions. Walsh isn't ready to commit to either just yet. "We'll have to see how the summer goes," he said.

That's the message Walsh is giving about everything, especially Marbury, who is most likely a buyout candidate if Walsh can't find a workable trade of his expiring contract, which carries a $21.9 million salary.

"I would like to make this a statement: we have a new situation here. I'm a new guy as a president; we have a new coach," Walsh said. "Let's see how this thing can go from here . . . We've got to look at our team and see who can be rejuvenated because, quite honestly, nobody looked good on this team last year. We won 23 games and so it didn't reflect well on anyone."


Decent move...Duhon is an underrated player.

[Chamillitary Click]

the knicks overpaid him.