By Greg Hutchins

With the free agent signing of Chris Duhon, Donnie Walsh has finally addressed the most glaring need on the Knicks roster. Duhon, a career backup for the Chicago Bulls, has reportedly been offered the starting point guard role. As Walsh debates on whether to release or trade Stephon Marbury, Duhon is set to become Mike D'Antoni's coveted "engine" for next season.

Duhon's signing for two years at the full MLE (approx. $12MM) is a clear sign that the market for unrestricted free agent point guards is thin. Rumors of Charlotte's Raymond Felton coming to New York via a trade for David Lee were quickly dismissed by Bobcats executives. Rather than make a play for Orlando's Carlos Arroyo or Miami's Jason Williams, Walsh zeroed-in on Duhon. Arroyo might have been the better fit for D'Antoni's style of play, but did not receive any notable consideration. After days of debating on whether to sign on for a rebuilding effort in New York as a starter versus joining Orlando's bench, Walsh helped Duhon make up his mind by adding another $5M to his initial offer.

For a Knicks team sorely lacking in the leadership category, adding Duhon is a rather puzzling move. The former Duke Blue Devil & Chicago Bull has a long history of carousing and his NBA career has suffered because of it. Duhon routinely found himself in the Chicago doghouse. His transgressions included missing practice due to oversleeping, missing mandatory film sessions & traveling during the season without notifying team officials. Last March, Duhon was reprimanded again by the Bulls staff for missing a team shootaround. With the arrival of Derrick Rose in the Windy City, Duhon's services were no longer needed.

Barring a trade, Duhon will team with former Bulls Eddy Curry & Jamal Crawford in the starting lineup. His career averages of 4.5 apg & 6.9 ppg on 38% shooting from the floor are modest, but his assist-to-turnover ratio (ranked 6th best in the NBA) give the Knicks a steady ballhandler who thinks pass-first. The main questions around Duhon are 1) can he thrive as a full-time starter 2) will the half-court specialist be able to play at D'Antoni's breakneck pace 3) will he learn to make good decisions off the court?

Adding Duhon to a roster with the likes of Zach Randolph & Jerome James could be cause for alarm. It was James who Larry Brown deemed "unfit for practice" one day after enjoying New York's nightlife. Randolph's history of trouble-making exploits has been well documented. If Duhon's past behavior is any indication of what to expect next season, Walsh may have added more explosives to his powder keg locker room.

Chris Duhon's signing is reminiscent of Chris Childs' in 1996. Childs (then a backup with the Nets) was brought in to address a significant need at PG. Despite Childs' prior battles with alcoholism, he would go on to become a steady performer for 5 seasons in New York. Childs struggled to live up to expectations as a starting point guard which led to Charlie Ward's ascension, but Jeff Van Gundy's PG platoon system worked well for both players. Duhon may need a platoon partner as well since he's accustomed to playing 25 minutes per night as a reserve. Asking him to play 35+ a night as the primary facilitator may be a tall order.

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Donnie Walsh now has 15 players under contract for the 2008-09 season. Although Duhon's salary adds to a league-high payroll, his contract will expire by the summer of 2010 when Lebron James hits the open market along with stars Dewayne Wade, Amare Stoudemire, Chris Bosh, Joe Johnson, Steve Nash & Manu Ginobili.

Danilo Gallinari is slated to earn $2.8M in his rookie year. Gallinari's salary for the first two seasons is guaranteed followed by a team option in year three. With Walsh expected to make a run at the league's premier small forward and Gallinari projected to play the same position, the "Italian Stallion" could become trade bait.

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