"Houston Is Back on the Court, But He Is Not Himself, So Far"
"Allan Houston stopped talking about his health, at least in any meaningful way, weeks ago, about the same time he shed the Italian suits in favor of a Knicks jersey. From that point on, he would let his game speak for itself.
But so far, the performances are as muted as Houston. In 12 games since his mid-December return, Houston has averaged 10.1 points and is shooting 43.7 percent from the field. There are signs of encouragement -- he has had five games in which he has scored in double figures and he is shooting 41.7 percent from 3-point range -- but he has had difficulty sustaining momentum.
In Saturday's loss to the Nets, Houston went 3 for 8 from the field, and with his mobility clearly limited, he had a tough time creating room to shoot. He has gone 5 for 19 over his last two games.
Although he will not address the specifics of his health after an eight-and-a-half-month recovery from knee problems, Houston clearly lacks explosion and his gait is sometimes awkward.
Early in Saturday's game, Houston slapped the ball away from the 7-foot Nets rookie Nenad Krstic, but he was easily beaten to the loose ball by Krstic.
''I think he's still trying to get his legs under him, he's still building his strength and his endurance,'' said Stephon Marbury, Houston's backcourt mate. ''He hasn't played in a long time, so it's tough for him. But I think eventually he'll start clicking.''
The Knicks need a more productive Houston badly, and soon. Jamal Crawford's toe injury will keep him out at least another two weeks, and Penny Hardaway is not entirely recovered from a strained hamstring.
The Knicks are about to play their most difficult four-game stretch in two months. They play host to the Sacramento Kings (19-9) on Tuesday, then travel south to play the Miami Heat (25-8) -- the best team in the East -- on Wednesday.
The Knicks play at Cleveland (18-12) on Saturday, then return home to face the Portland Trail Blazers (14-15) on Sunday.
Though Marbury has happily carried the scoring load -- he scored at least 30 points in all three games last week -- the Knicks could use Houston's jumper.
But Houston has had trouble finding room to operate, and he conceded he was not entirely prepared for the fits and starts of his comeback.
''I'm a perfectionist, and I really was a little naïve, thinking I'll come in and feel great from Day 1,'' Houston said. ''I've never been through it before, but now I've learned to take it one day at a time, just enjoy playing again and know that it's going to continue to get better every day.''
He called Saturday's game, in which he attempted just three shots in the second half, ''mentally frustrating.''
''There's a lot of things you know you can do, you want to do,'' he said. ''You're out there and you just feel limited.''
The Knicks are not providing Houston with multiple screens to free him, in part because he lacks the endurance to take advantage of them. At the moment, open shots are coming primarily through Marbury's frequent drives into the lane, which collapse opposing defenses.
Coach Lenny Wilkens said Houston was not getting enough scoring chances, but he added, ''We can't stop our offense or stop the opportunity to get up and down the floor to find someone.''
He also said it was too early to assess Houston's comeback.
''He's been off such a long time, and he's got to get back in that rhythm where he feels like he can really make that move, move past a guy, shake him off, all those things,'' Wilkens said. ''And I think that will happen.''
REBOUNDS
Three days after Stephon Marbury proclaimed himself the league's best point guard, the N.B.A. named him player of the week for the Eastern Conference. Marbury averaged 32.3 points (on 59.3 percent shooting), 8.7 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 2.33 steals in three games last week. The last Knick to win player of the week honors was Marbury, last Jan. 18. Vin Baker did not attend practice Monday, citing personal reasons. He is expected back for Tuesday's game against Sacramento. The team called it an excused absence. Lenny Wilkens said he had a bad feeling Saturday, even before the Knicks lost to the Nets. ''I hate to play on New Year's,'' especially at home, he said. ''When you're at home, everybody's visiting and all that. It's too much a holiday atmosphere, and I don't like it. And I was nervous. But we should be pros and rise above that.''
BASKETBALL"