Keith Van Horn knew he was going to have a challenge when he went to the Knicks in the offseason. Filling the shoes of Latrell Sprewell would be no easy task. But he scored, rebounded and played aggresively enough to earn the fans' respect.

3 1/2 months later, Van Horn was traded again, in a three team deal for Milwaukee's Tim Thomas. It's Thomas now who has to fill Van Horn's shoes. The consensus of opinion in the Eastern Conference is that the Bucks got the best of the deal.

They are 6-6 with Van Horn in the lineup despite the loss of injured point guard T.J. Ford, and the Knicks are 4-8 with Tim Thomas. Van Horn has been a better scorer (18.7 to 14.0) and rebounder (6.8 to 4.7), and his three-point shooting - a remarkable 54.3 percent since the trade - stretches opposing defenses.

Van Horn has grown comfortable quickly, but Thomas admittedly still is trying to determine his role. "Basketball is just like playing chess - you have to figure ways to be more productive out there," Thomas said.