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With veteran Mark Jackson dealt to Denver, point guard was expected to be a major sore spot for the Knicks this season. While it’s not yet a strength, the duo of Howard Eisley and Charlie Ward has covered the position reasonably well. Eisley starts and is the playmaker, setting up scorers. Ward has come off the bench to provide more punch – he’s currently fourth on the Knicks in scoring at 9.1 points per game. Even combined, however, their stats can’t come close to Gary Payton’s as the perennial All-Star continues to lead the NBA in assists at 11.3 per game without sacrificing his scoring.
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The critics have been less vocal in their concerns about Allan Houston and his large contract this season as he leads New York in scoring with 23.5 points per game. Houston provides little outside of scoring, but is as lethal as any guard in the game and more than just a jump shooter. The same is true of Brent Barry, though he plays a complementary role for the Sonics. Barry averaged 12.5 rebounds against New York last season.
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F O R W A R D S |
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With Rashard Lewis suspended by the league for one game, sixth man Desmond Mason likely steps into the Sonics starting lineup. Mason already plays as many minutes as a starter and is third on the Sonics in scoring and second in rebounding, so he won’t be overmatched at all. Knicks forward Latrell Sprewell has started slowly after a controversial injury to his right hand knocked him out for eight games, during which New York was just 1-7. The streaky Sprewell could go off at any time; hopefully it won’t be against the Sonics.
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Replacing the injured Antonio McDyess in the Knicks starting lineup is the task of Othella Harrington, a solid if unremarkable player. Harrington’s scoring is down this season to just 6.9 points per game despite a solid 47.5% field goal percentage, indicating he’s not getting a lot of looks. Harrington can be exploited defensively when the Sonics use Vladimir Radmanovic at power forward. Radmanovic broke out with five fourth-quarter threes on Saturday. Starter Reggie Evans also had a strong game, picking up a career-high eight rebounds.
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C E N T E R |
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Included in numerous trade rumors this summer, Kurt Thomas is still in New York and being forced to play out of position again at center. The 6-9 Thomas plays bigger than his size, leading New York in rebounding (8.6 per game) and blocked shots (2.0 per game). He’s also a solid scorer, averaging 15.4 points on better than 50% from the field. Sonics center Predrag Drobnjak has broken out of a shooting slump the last two games, but the Sonics need more rebounds from him.
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