ATLANTA – It is not about Allan Houston’s arthritic knees anymore. It’s about his head. Houston is afraid to come back.
At yesterday’s morning shoot-around, Houston said it could be another two weeks before he makes his season debut. He said this after raving how wonderfully his body felt coming off Monday’s first full-court scrimmage.
The wait has gone beyond ridiculous. Rome wasn’t built in a day but it was built in a shorter span than Houston’s eight-month rehab from knocking knees with a Wizard player last March. If Houston’s not afraid, then he’s acting selfishly, a $100 million ego running his rehab.
When he finally makes his season debut, Houston has said, he wants to be the old Allan. That’s unrealistic. He’ll never be the old Houston. For now, he is healthy and pain-free. He’s got to start somewhere, even if his timing is off, even if it’s garbage time Saturday in Charlotte.
“In January and February, nobody’s going to remember I had an injury,” Houston explained. “Nobody’s going to remember this. That’s how I have to look at this. Even though two weeks seems like a long time, in the big picture, it’s nothing.”
Nothing? I’ll give you nothing. Houston is tied with Chris Webber as the NBA’s second-highest-paid player this season, making $17.53 million. He is paid more than Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Jermaine O’Neal, Ray Allen, Jason Kidd and Stephon Marbury.
In a span of the next two weeks, including last night in Atlanta, the Knicks play eight times. Technically, players are paid per game, including exhibitions. By the NBA’s formula, Houston is paid $194,777 per game. If Houston is back in two weeks, Dec. 14, including exhibitions, he will have missed 28 games – more than $5.4 million of his salary.
But let’s get beyond numbers. Houston shrugging off another two weeks minimizes David Stern’s 82-game schedule. It’s a bad message to his teammates battling every game with various pains. It’s enough already.
The Knicks could win the Atlantic Division, get the third seed and homecourt for the first round. Every game counts.
The longer Houston waits, the tougher the adjustment for everybody. The Knicks might have to take a step back. It’s better to get that over with sooner rather than later.
“I think they all understand the focus is how we’re going to maximum my health,” Houston said.
Houston is 34. Do you think anyone’s worried how Houston will feel in two years when his contract is expiring and the Knicks can finally trade him? The Knicks are paying Houston for today. And today should start Saturday in Charlotte.
Lenny Wilkens claims to be on the same page as Houston regarding the need for more practices. But when asked if he can explain why Houston is not ready to play Saturday, Wilkens said, “No I can’t. Until you get inside Allan’s body, you can’t tell.”
Houston must let go of his fears. If his body is not ready to play an NBA game Saturday, he’ll never be ready.
