Last season, I blanket vetoed any and all members of the New York Knicks.  Too inconsistent, lacking motivation, and well…Zach Randolph was in town.  This year, my feelings towards Stephon Marbury haven’t changed all too much, but the addition of Mike D’Antoni should be enough to shift most of us to at least a “semi-favorable” feeling on some of the guys suiting up in Madison Square Garden.  You know they’ll at least score a bunch.  But do not let yourself be fooled in to thinking Starbury has shifted his focus from the back seat of trucks to the hardwood.

While one would think Stephon would need to make up some lost ground for the Steve and Barry’s bankruptcy, the New York Times reports that the recent signing of Chris Duhon could be for more than just a warm body off of the bench. 

Whether Marbury will be traded, bought out of his contract or simply waived is yet to be determined. But people with close ties to Donnie Walsh, the team president, and Coach Mike D’Antoni consider Marbury’s departure a near certainty. [...]

Kevin Bradbury, Duhon’s agent, said, “For Chris, the opportunity to be a starting point guard, to have the opportunity to be the starting point guard for the Knicks, to play in New York and to play in D’Antoni’s system” was too good to pass up.

Well hello there, Chris Duhon.  While I’m not going to loft the recent addition into the same light as the last point guard to run the floor for D’Antoni, Duhon’s value take a huge bump up on this news.  He’ll still have to deal with half of his team lofting up a boat load of three-point shots, but the potential is there for some solid production in the mid-to-late rounds. 

If given the starting nod, he’s instantly a safer play than, say, Beno Udrih or Daniel Gibson.  Keep an eye on this development to see where and when Marbs gets the heave-ho.  And then feel free to pencil Mr. Duhon into your late-round draft plans.  It may be worth it.

Duhon Is Added, Signaling End for Marbury [NY Times]