Nate Could Start in Place of Duhon

Alan Hahn of Newsday is reporting that Nate Robinson could start in place of point guard Chris Duhon tonight, if Duhon isn't healthy enough to play.

With the Knicks 1 1/2 games out of eighth place in the Eastern Conference and only 18 games left, D'Antoni doesn't seem to want to take Robinson out of the roles in which he has thrived. But he does want Duhon to be honest with him before tonight's game against the Timberwolves, which could be a critical swing game in this five-game road trip, which ends Sunday against the East-leading Cavaliers. D'Antoni suggested after Wednesday's overtime win in Detroit that Duhon shouldn't have played.

Duhon has been battling some injuries lately, and it's had a negative effect on his performance on the court. In the Knicks overtime victory over the Pistons on Wednesday, Duhon only registered 22 minutes and was innefective. This has been a trend lasting a couple of weeks now of the usually consistent point guard.

Robinson on the other hand, has been playing some absolutely lights-out basketball as of late. He has the ability to break a game open with his tendancy to hit shots and make plays in bunches, and getting more minutes tonight can only enahnce that.

As a Knicks fan, I'd love to see Nate get starters minutes tonight, especially while Duhon rests up from his nagging injuries. Robinson has been a producer of excitement and energy all season, and has truely become a fan favorite.

Coming off back-to-back victories over the Bucks and Pistons, the Knicks play the Minnesota Timberwolves tonight and look to start a legitimate win streak while keeping their playoff hopes alive.