The Knicks need small forward Danilo Gallinari to step up as his shooting has been way off so far this year. He is only shooting 39.7% from the floor and 37.3% from three point range and that’s just not good enough. His shooting is his main asset so when he’s off with his shot, he’s not helping the Knicks at all. Gallinari has played in 14 games (all starts) for the Knicks and he is averaging 31.8 minutes, 16.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. The Knicks will likely be patient with Gallinari.

21-year old power forward Anthony Randolph was the key player for the Knicks in the David Lee trade over the summer. Randolph has not played too well so far this year. He has played in 7 games (0 starts) for the Knicks so far this year and he is averaging 11.9 minutes, 2.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game. Randolph is only shooting 25% from the floor so far this year (6 for 25) and that is especially pathetic when you consider that most of his shots are coming from close range. Still, Randolph has a huge upside and I think he’s going to snap out of his funk at some point for the Knicks as he’s just too talented to keep playing like he is right now.

With Sergio Rodriguez in town the Knicks have decided not to play 27-year old point guard Chris Duhon unless it’s an emergency. Duhon has not played in a game for the Knicks since February 20th as he has 10 DNPs in a row. Look for that DNP streak to continue to grow. Duhon has played in 54 games (42 starts) for the Knicks this season and he is averaging 32.8 minutes, 7.5 points, 2.7 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game. Those numbers aren’t the frustrating ones to Knicks’ management but his 34.4% shooting from the floor is the reason that his butt is nailed to the bench.

23-year old point guard Sergio Rodriguez was more than a throw in for the Knicks as they see him maybe bumping Chris Duhon from the starting point guard job. Rodriguez played in 39 games (0 starts) for the Kings this season and he was averaging 13.3 minutes, 6.0 points, 1.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. He has now played in 258 games (14 starts) in his NBA career and he is averaging 12.5 minutes, 3.9 points, 1.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. Rodriguez even has a cool nickname “Spanish Chocolate” so he’s made for Broadway.

The Knicks wanted 30-year old SG/SF Tracy McGrady for his expiring contract but he will also get a chance to prove that he still has something left as a player. T-Mac has only played in 6 games (0 starts) this season and he is averaging 7.7 minutes, 3.2 points, 0.8 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game. McGrady has now played in 790 games (640 starts) in his NBA career and he is averaging 34.8 minutes, 21.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.3 steals per game. If McGrady shows the Knicks that he still has some game left they might re-sign him this summer. If not they let him walk.

The fact that power forward Darko Milicic can’t get onto the floor for the New York Knicks speaks volumes about him as a player. He has played in 8 games (0 starts) for the Knicks this season and he is averaging 8.9 minutes, 2.0 points, 2.3 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game. A lot of experts thought that Milicic would find himself in the wide open offensive attack of head coach Mike D’Antoni but it just hasn’t happened.

Finally the Knicks have come to their senses as Nate Robinson will be the new starting point guard starting tomorrow night. He has played in 27 games (0 starts) for the Knicks this season and he is averaging 23.6 minutes, 12.9 points, 2.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. Robinson is shooing 46.7% from the floor this season and 36.9% from three point range. He is easily the best point guard on the Knicks’ roster so it’s great that they have finally decided to start him.

Larry Hughes will now be the back-up point guard for the Knicks moving past Chris Duhon on the depth chart. Hughes has played in 30 games (14 starts) for the Knicks this season and he is averaging 26.7 minutes, 9.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.3 steals per game. His shooting has been awful as he is only hitting 36.7% from the floor this season and 29.2% from three point range this year. He won’t likely be starting any time soon but at least he will get some exercise.

Coach Mike D’Antoni finally decided to demote Chris Duhon not only from the starting lineup but the playing rotation completely. This has got to make Knicks’ fans happy as Duhon has been pathetic this season. Duhon has played in 48 games (all starts) for the Knicks this season and he is averaging 33.2 minutes, 8.0 points, 2.7 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game. But, it is his putrid shooting which is earning him his spot at the very end of the Knicks’ bench. He is shooting only 34.8% from the floor this season and 33.8% from three point range and that just can’t be tolerated out of a starting point guard in the NBA, period.

Larry Hughes is essentially a shooting guard that can’t shoot. That is like being a WR that can’t catch or a DH that can’t hit. He is only shooting 36.8% from the floor this season and 29.7% from three point range and that is not good enough to get the job done, period. He has played in 27 games (14 starts) this season for the Knicks and he is averaging 28.4 minutes, 10.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.4 steals per game. Larry Hughes should not be playing over Nate Robinson period!