Knicks Add Chris Duhon

It's not the kind of blockbuster deal a city like New York will take much notice of. Not a multiple page filler in the Post or the Times, no breaking news on ESPN or anything else. But the verbal agreement of former Bulls point guard Chris Duhon with the New York Knicks on friday is just the kind of deal that will add a piece to a puzzle. And it is a move that isn't putting the franchise's future in jeopardy, unlike desastrous moves in recent memory...

The quick facts on Duhon and the deal: The 6-1, 185 pound Lousiana native played four years for the Chicago Bulls before basically agreeing to a two year, 12 million dollar deal with the Knickerbockers. Duhon, who will turn 26 in August, spent his college career at Duke, compiling an outstanding four year run at one of the most historic hoops academies in the country. Duhon finished as the all time leader in minutes played at Cameron and he was a member of the 2001 National Championship team for the Blue Devils. In the NBA he has been in and out of the starting lineup in Chicago, mainly bringing strong defense and solid playmaking ability to the table. So much for that, no big news, let's move on into a long summer... well, not so fast. By getting Duhon Knicks GM Donnie Walsh accomplished something that former general manager Isiah Thomas couldn't do in years: He got a true point guard. Yes, a true point guard. Not a Rucker Park legend, no undersized shooting guard, no Harlem Globetrotter. A solid, rugged and experienced point guard. For that reason alone you have to like the deal, even though Duhon isn't the greatest offensive talent. But that's also not what you necessarily need from your point guard. One thing is for sure, new Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni will be happy to see a reliable ball distributor (and a good citizen like Duhon) on his team when training camp begins. Nobody should expect the ex Blue Devil to become an All Star all of a sudden but it doesn't seem like a reach that he can take a step forward under a coach like D'Antoni.

Even more important for Knicks fans should be the amount of years Duhon will sign for. The two year deal guarentees the Knicks cap flexibility and it won't go longer than most of the Knicks horrible deals that expire in the next two seasons. Overall it's a very solid deal for a very solid basketball player. And that's what the Knicks need. You don't have to swing for the fences on every pitch but you can change a culture by adding pieces here and there. And at some point in the future these solid basketball players will take over the spots of the malcontents and we might look at a better future on the Garden floor...