GREENBURGH, N.Y. — Baron Davis is a New York Knick and it’s not hard to imagine him starting when, and if, he becomes healthy.
But the current starting point guard, Toney Douglas, says he’s not threatened by the Knicks’ latest arrival.
“We got him obviously here for a reason,” Douglas said Monday. “That’s our goal, is to win, right? I feel like we’re going to get better every day and win games.”
Douglas had five points, five assists and two turnovers in Saturday’s 92-83 exhibition win over the Nets in Newark.
When Davis does get on the floor, it could enable Douglas to play more of his natural two guard spot.
“I’m adaptable and I could do both positions,” Douglas said, “and I’m fine with that. I have a lot of strength so I don’t get into all that.”
He added: “Whatever coach [Mike D’Antoni] asks me to do, that’s what I’m going to to do. And his system is versatile players, so that’s how it is.”
D’Antoni said Douglas “will play big minutes and he’s going to contribute and I think he’ll be fine either way.”
With 66 games in 123 days, D’Antoni says there will be more than enough playing time to go around in the backcourt for Douglas, Davis, Mike Bibby, Landry Fields and Iman Shumpert.
“[Davis] can play with Toney, he can play with Mike Bibby, he can play with Landry,” D’Antoni said. “We can play all three of them together. There’s just a lot of stuff that you can do.
“[Davis] is just a big guard that knows how to play and obviously his pick-and-roll play is very good.”
Still, D’Antoni sounds like he’s very high on Davis, so his arrival should definitely cut into Douglas’ time at point guard.
“I see him being a vital part, that’s for sure,” D’Antoni said. “We are talking about one of the better point guards in the league.”
D’Antoni seems to be of the opinion that you can never have enough good guards, especially in a condensed NBA season.
“It’s a good problem to have,” D’Antoni said. “What he brings, another big guard, especially on the pick-and-roll for Tyson [Chandler] and Amar’e [Stoudemire]. He just brings a lot.
“Possibly it disrupts some things but I’m not that worried about it. I think its going to add to it.”
