Since I was in person for Chris Duhon?s best game of 07-08 at Golden State when he scored 34 points and dished nine assists in a 114-108 win without Luol Deng, Ben Gordon, and Kirk Hinrich, there is a chance that I might like the signing more than I should.
So here are the key questions:
Did the Knicks overpay for Duhon?
Yes.
Are their hands tied signing a shotblocker because of the full use of the MLE?
Yes.
Will Duhon account for more wins in 08-09?
Perhaps a handful (meaning four or less).
Is this a good signing?
Yes, and for three reasons.
1. It is only a two-year deal
The Knicks have been accustomed to needlessly offering five-year contracts to MLE players such as Jerome James and Jared Jeffries.
They have bid against themselves, and while these MLE deals are a small drop in the bucket when a team has a bloated $90 million payroll, they are symbolic backbreakers of uselessness.
Good teams utilize the MLE for role players that will enhance the core, not to attempt to window dress a below average player as a free agent splash.
Duhon will make more over the next two seasons than he probably will over his final four or five in the NBA, but their refusal to deviate off their course by offering a third year showed some much needed restraint.
2. He is a legitimate point guard who can play D?Antoni?s style.
Out of the top-50 point guards last season, Duhon ranked 43rd in FIC40 with a 10.2, which puts him decidedly in the average strata.
Travis Diener, Chris Quinn, Carlos Arroyo, and Anthony Johnson were all more productive on a per minute basis.
But Duhon was sixth in the NBA in assists/turnovers with 3.70, and the reason for the low FIC40 score is largely due to how infrequently he shoots and his low field goal percentage of 39%.
The Knicks haven?t had a classic ?shoot last? point guard since Howard Eisley, who Duhon essentially is. Eisley was the stopgap until they were able to acquire Stephon Marbury, and Duhon will be that same stopgap until they decide what happens with their cap space.
He is a facilitator who initiates good ball movement in the halfcourt, penetrates well, and is a committed defender. I thought the Bulls were frequently better as a team when Duhon was on the floor rather than Kirk Hinrich. Being conservative, the Knicks are getting 75% of Hinrich at half the price.
3. No current players were sacrificed.
There had been Raymond Felton talk, but he probably would have cost New York David Lee, and the difference between Felton and Duhon is nominal. Felton had an 11.3 FIC40 and the Bobcats, not exactly the highest standard bearers of excellence, have given up on the notion of him being a point guard.
Duhon is nothing if he isn?t a point guard, and Lee can stick around to fit in somehow or be dealt for a more valuable commodity than a below-average starting point.
Grade for Knicks: B+
For Duhon, he is given an opportunity to start in a city that typically is high-pressured but will have incredibly modest expectations. The point guard position has been a disaster for New York over the past few years for myriad reasons, and Duhon should quickly thrive in the system and endear himself to the MSG crowd.
He also will reenter the open market on the right side of 30, which could allow him to parlay a nice Knicks? turnaround into one final long-term deal.
Grade for Duhon: A