By JOSH NEWMAN
Special to ZAGSBLOG
NEW YORK – If you’re Baron Davis, the backup point guard to Jeremy Lin with the good fortune of having a new head coach whose philosophy suits you better than the starter, this is not the time to be dinged up and sitting. Fans know it, the media knows it and yes, Davis himself very likely knows it.
On Friday night against the Pacers, the Davis of old was slowly starting to emerge at Madison Square Garden. A 15-foot fade away at the first quarter buzzer, a long jumper and a longer 3-pointer later, bang, a new problem.
Davis left the Knicks’ 115-100 win on Friday with what the team is calling a strained right hamstring. He did not return and will not travel with the team to Indianapolis for the back end of a back-to-back with the Pacers on Saturday night.
This new injury, which Davis himself called minor, is the latest setback for Davis after he sat out the first seven weeks of the season with a back injury.
“We were getting into a groove. It seemed like the floor was spaced out and I really knew what was going on,” Davis said. “It’s a minor setback, I’ll be alright in a couple days.”
Things will get interesting at the point guard position moving forward as Davis was expected to challenge incumbent Jeremy Lin for more minutes and eventually, the start. Under Mike D’Antoni, the Knicks were more run-and-gun, which was better suited for Lin. With interim head coach Mike Woodson now in charge, the team is expected to shift to a more isolation-heavy offense with Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire getting more touches. That style of play is thought to be more suited for Davis.
Woodson is also a believer that young players should sit, watch and learn. Lin’s stellar play has earned him the right to keep his job for now, but Davis very well could have been breathing down his neck for minutes had the hamstring not popped up. In due time, Davis should be back in the mix.
“It was kind of like I was just running too hard, it’s nothing serious,” Davis said.
For his career, the 13th-year pro out of UCLA has averaged 16.3 points and 7.3 while playing for the Hornets, Warriors, Clippers, Cavs and now the Knicks.
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