GREENBURGH, N.Y. — Baron Davis went through his first full scrimmage today, and is expected to make his debut sometime during the New York Knicks’ upcoming four-game road trip.
Did somebody say “savior?”
Just a few months ago, Davis’s back injury was so bad, he was considering retiring from the NBA.
“Two, three months ago, I was really contemplating and thinking about retiring and just asking to be taken care of so I could be able to walk, walk straight or even work out or jog,” Davis, who’s been sidelined with a herniated disc and turns 33 in April. “I could barely walk or even pass the ball when I was working out with my kids.”
Now, after his first full scrimmage since signing with the Knicks on Dec. 19, Davis is essentially being counted on to be the team’s panacea. The Knicks have dropped six games in a row heading into Tuesday night’s game at Charlotte, and Davis is expected to debut sometime during a trip that also includes stops in Cleveland, Miami and Houston. No official date has been set for his return.
“There are a lot of expectations that I’ve never had in my career,” Davis said. “But I’m up for the challenge. I’m very, very confident that this season will definitely turn around, and we’re going to hit our stride and we’re going to have the fans behind us even though they boo.
“They’re just passionate about winning. All we ask is for their patience and to keep supporting us, because the booing is not going to really help us think through things.”
The Knicks are 17th in the NBA in scoring (94.3 ppg) and tied for 24th in assists (18.1). With no reliable point guard to lead them, their offense has stumbled and stalled and relied almost entirely on an injured Carmelo Anthony down the stretch of games.
“Once our offense catches up with our defense, we’re going to be unstoppable, so I’m not really worried about our record,” Davis said.
Anthony has battled wrist and ankle injuries that he said might have caused him to sit out some games if the Knicks weren’t struggling so badly.
“As a leader of this team, I don’t think I can do it right now,” Anthony said of sitting out games. “With us just losing games like that, I don’t want to just sit out in the midst of everything that’s going on with the losing of games. So I feel I gotta be there for my guys.”
He said was glad to see Davis out on the court Monday.
“This is the first time he’s been on the court since God knows when, so for him to be back out there with us running up and down, that’s a great sign,” Anthony said. “He’s getting closer to his return date. We want him to take his time, get healthy.”
Davis’s return could also help get Amar’e Stoudemire more involved in the offense. Stoudemire has struggled recently and is averaging just 17.6 points after averaging 25.3 last season.
“He looked phenomenal, so it was great to have him back out there,” Stoudemire said of Davis. “His creativity alone is something special, the way he handles the ball, the way he passes, the way he sees the game as a veteran point guard.”
Davis should be able to help both Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler on pick-and-rolls, an area where the Knicks have struggled with Toney Douglas and Iman Shumpert handling the ball.
“He does that for myself and also Tyson,” Stoudemire said. “Both of us are phenomenal paint-scorers, so that will make it easier for us, for sure.”
Stoudemire said he and Anthony spoke privately Sunday night and again Monday morning to try and iron out the team’s offensive issues.
Anthony, who has been criticized as a ball-stopper, said after Saturday night’s loss to Denver that he needed to involve Stoudemire more in the offense.
“We talked about how we can both dominate the game on both ends of the court,” Stoudemire said. “Carmelo’s a phenomenal player, he’s a willing player so it definitely will happen and we’ll get better as a unit and as a team for sure.”
Davis played with the Knicks’ starters during practice and paired in the backcourt both with Douglas and Shumpert. He hit a 3-pointer and showed an ability to change speeds.
Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni called Davis “rusty” and said he would “ease him in” to the offense once he’s ready. The team will consult with both Davis and the training staff before Davis plays in a game.
“He’s gotta get used to his teammates, the system, the stamina, the timing and it’s going to be a little bit,” D’Antoni said. “But there was times that he was good, there were other times that he was a little rusty. But hopefully today, tomorrow we’ll do it again and shortly he’ll be OK.”
He added: “It’s going to take a little while for him to get his mojo back or whatever it is. But it was good, it was positive.”
Davis knows the road ahead won’t be entirely smooth, but he said he “had a smile on my face” during practice and believes he can help the Knicks improve.
“I know I can definitely help,” he said. “We all need each other at this point as a team and we need to just figure out how to play off of each other, and play with a style that suits everybody and works to everybody’s strengths and talents.
“With the sophistication of our offense, and what coach is demanding of us. Everything is happening so fast — just making reads — but there are so many things open. It just takes time and timing and pace in order to really get that rhythm.”
FREE THROWS
The Knicks recalled 7-foot center Jerome Jordan and 6-3 point guard Jeremy Lin from the D-League…Rookie center Josh Harrellson is expected to have right wrist shoulder “shortly” and then be out six weeks, a team spokesman said. D’Antoni said Harrellson, averaging 5.3 points and 4.3 rebounds, would return after the All-Star break.
Adam Zagoria of Zags Blog covers the future stars of the NBA, and occassionally the Knicks, for SheridanHoops.com. Follow him on Twitter at @AdamZagoria.