Analysis: Confidence working wonders for Duhon, Harris

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Confidence can do many things for a person. You walk a little taller, speak more freely and look people in the eye without fear.

Apparently confidence, when coupled with precocious talent, has been the key ingredient this season in helping the Nets' Devin Harris and the Knicks' Chris Duhon develop into two of the Eastern Conference's elite point guards. Harris and Duhon have been more than just pleasant surprises for their respective teams this season. They've become invaluable at a position difficult to master.

"I think playing point guard and center are the two hardest positions," Nets general manager Kiki Vandeweghe said, "with point guard being harder because you have responsibility not only for yourself, but for running the plays, organizing the team and it's a matter of getting the reins, enough of the reins, but with the coach guiding you at the same time.

"It's a delicate balance. Both guys have a lot of talent and you give them enough free rein to utilize their talents."

Harris, who had trouble finding a role in his three-and-a-half years in Dallas, is averaging 24.4 points per game and has turned into an MVP candidate thanks to an offense designed to exploit his explosiveness.

"I think that mostly it's his confidence," Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni said of Harris. "That's the first thing. He's playing a lot of time. He's not worried about making a mistake. Most players in this league when they get that type of confidence they're better than they were."

Duhon started 73 of 82 games in his rookie season in 2004-05, but saw his playing time dwindle each successive season in Chicago. He's now become so integral in D'Antoni's offense that the fifth-year guard rarely leaves the floor. Heading into Wednesday's game against Harris' Nets, Duhon is averaging 40.4 minutes per game, second most in the NBA.

"That's his nickname, 48-plus," Knicks teammate Tim Thomas said. "He's giving us 48 every night."

On Wednesday, Duhon, despite playing a "mere" 38 minutes, helped his Knicks top Harris and the Nets 121-109 at the IZOD Center in the teams' first meeting this season.

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	With help from Chris Duhon, Al Harrington scored 39 as the Knicks knocked off the Nets 121-109. Play 2:00

Throughout Wednesday's game, one could see how valuable each was to his team. Harris, who had a team-high 32 points, had a hand in the Nets' first 22 points of the game, scoring 14 himself and dishing three assists, one a dunk by Yi Jianlian and the others a three by Vince Carter and Yi.

"He's playing as well as anybody," D'Antoni said of Harris. "His shot and his confidence more than anything. In college, he shot the ball pretty well, then he had a couple years where [on defense] we backed way up.

"He's improved enough now where you have to guard him and he's extremely quick as always. He's just playing with the great confidence."

Duhon, meanwhile, had only two points in the first quarter, but dished six assists to help keep the Knicks within striking distance of the streaking Nets.

"This offense has given me an opportunity to shoot or create for my teammates," Duhon said. "Coach has confidence in me and I know I'm not going worry about coming out because I've made a mistake."

Duhon didn't make many mistakes on Wednesday, finishing with 10 assists and only one turnover. But when D'Antoni finally rested Duhon at the beginning of the second quarter, the Knicks' offense bogged down and fell behind by as many as 15. Duhon played the last seven minutes of the quarter and the Knicks were able to whittle the lead to six at halftime. New York president Donnie Walsh believes Duhon has been a perfect fit for the Knicks.

"He's been better [than expected]," Walsh said. "I thought he was good, but he's been better than good. It's a great combination, Mike D'Antoni and Chris. He really has excelled in Mike's system to the point where Mike has a wealth of confidence in him, and I think that helps Chris to know that."

Harris feels similarly about his role in coach Lawrence Frank's schemes -- schemes designed with Harris' quickness in mind.

"I have tremendous confidence," Harris said. "I'm not thinking, I'm reacting and I have a comfort level. I feel free, the system allows me to make plays.

"And it makes it easier when you have a coach who sits back and just lets you play."

Harris is a pleasure to watch, not only in the open court, but in the half-court. Trying to stay in front of him is like trying to catch mercury. If he doesn't go past you, he can break you down with a nifty crossover and step back to nail a jumper.

But it's not just the flashy plays that show why Harris and Duhon are getting it done, especially Duhon. For the Knicks, gone are the days when anyone would bring the ball up the court, maybe get into a set or just let one fly. Repeatedly after a rebound, the Knicks would seek out Duhon to bring the ball up. Also, Duhon had numerous "hockey assists" against the Nets where he'd get into the lane off dribble penetration or on a pick-and-roll and dish it off, only to have his pass lead to another pass to a wide open Knick. Al Harrington, who led all scorers with 39, and Thomas, who had 26 off the bench, were the main beneficiaries of Duhon's decisiveness.

Thomas, who played with Steve Nash in D'Antoni's system in Phoenix, knows a good point guard when he sees one.

"He's doing a great job," Thomas said. "It's a difficult offense to run. You have to be a pass-first type of guard in this offense. There will always be opportunities for you to score the ball, but you have to get everybody involved. I think Chris is doing a great job of that.

"He picks and choose when to look for his offense, for his part, he's trying to make the right decision."

As for Harris, he too has hit all the right spots with New Jersey. When he's not on the floor, the Nets clearly aren't right. Harris left the game after picking up his fourth foul early in the third quarter and the Nets' one-point lead turned into a six-point deficit at the end of three. Despite Harris' 12 fourth-quarter points, the Nets never got closer than four the rest of the game.

"He's a good young point guard," Vandeweghe said. "He's emerging into the type of player he's going to become. He's obviously playing at a high level. He's shooting the ball very well, but he's getting others involved also.

"I think it's a matter of finding what works and what doesn't work, and that's true of any player, but especially for a point guard."

Despite the loss on Wednesday, Harris has become a player opposing teams fear and one the Nets can't do without.

"We're happy to have him," Vandeweghe said with a smile.