When he signed a one-year deal with the Hawks, Jacque Vaughn said he would not be content to remain the backup he was in Utah. Vaughn said he considers himself good enough to start.

A few weeks ago it seemed a bad joke. Now, Vaughn has shown he is certainly good enough to play solid minutes for a Hawks team that needs his point guard skills.

"I've never been lacking in confidence," the former Kansas star said. "I've always felt I could play well in this league, that I'm capable of making things happen with my defense and my quickness."

It hasn't been easy for a guy who was projected to play maybe 15 minutes a game after losing his backup spot to John Crotty. Vaughn started the season 0-for-22 and became the object of derision on ESPN's SportsCenter Nov. 17 when he finally scored.

Since his poor start, Vaughn is 25-for-45, including 11 of 14 in two weekend games. The shooting percentage went from .000 to .373.

Against the Pistons and Bucks, he did the things that work for a 6-foot-1 guard --- quick drives to the hoop, where he scores angle layups against bigger opponents, and tough defense against his opposite point guard. Lon Kruger rewarded Vaughn by working him half a game.

"Jacque's really come around," Kruger said. "It's night and day. But that was to be expected. He's a much better player than what we saw earlier in the month."

Tonight, Vaughn faces an interesting challenge, not that Mark Jackson and another former Jazz guard, Howard Eisley, are particularly dangerous. But the Knicks are utterly stupefying. Forcing a faster game against them is difficult for anyone.