Associated Press
The NBA notebook …
NEW YORK ó Chris Duhon is coming to compete for the New York Knicks’ starting point guard job. Nobody is saying yet if that competition will be against Stephon Marbury.
Duhon signed a two-year deal Wednesday worth more than $11 million, choosing the Knicks over the Orlando Magic because of an opportunity to play in new coach Mike D’Antoni’s system ó perhaps as the starter.
“He gives guards a lot of freedom to be themselves, to express themselves,” Duhon said. “He just has a lot of confidence that we’ll flourish in this type of type of system.”
Duhon spent his first four years with the Chicago Bulls, averaging a career-low 5.8 points last season. He was not re-signed by the Bulls, who needed to clear room in their backcourt after drafting point guard Derrick Rose with the No. 1 pick.
Already frustrated by his inconsistent role while playing with Ben Gordon and Kirk Hinrich, Duhon figured he wouldn’t be back in Chicago even before the Bulls won the lottery in May.
He had interest from an Orlando team that seems on the rise, reaching the second round of the playoffs last season. Instead, he agreed to join the 23-win Knicks, coming off their seventh straight losing season.
“Are the Knicks one of the best teams in the league? No, not at all,” Duhon said. “But the opportunity to be part of a change is also great and something I’m looking forward to. People don’t realize when I went to the Bulls, we were kind of in the same situation and we were able to turn that around.”
PAUL
NEW ORLEANS ó If Chris Paul had any regrets about last season, it was how his rising stardom made fans in New Orleans a little paranoid they might lose him to a wealthier team in a bigger city.
Paul said he constantly ran into fans who were aware he had only one season left on his rookie contract and told him, “We hope you don’t leave.”
“I truly love this city, everything about it,” Paul said. “I never had any plans to leave, contrary to what people may have believed.”
Those who hoped the All-Star point guard would remain with the Hornets can relax now.
ROSE HURTING
ORLANDO, Fla. ó Derrick Rose has had a rough summer league. Now it might be over.
The Chicago Bulls held their No. 1 overall pick out of Wednesday’s game with tendinitis in his right knee. It was the third of five games the Bulls and five other teams are playing over five days in Orlando.
Rose said the injury, which dates to his college days at Memphis, wasn’t serious.
RAPTORS
TORONTO ó With Jermaine O’Neal joining Chris Bosh, Toronto should be one of the league’s strongest interior duos.
“This is Chris’ team,” O’Neal said. “He’s been a centerpiece for quite some time and he’s a hell of a talent. I’m not into whose team this is, I’m into success.”