CHARLESTON – It’s become increasingly clear that Allan Houston has no intention of playing the season opener when the Knicks face Latrell Sprewell and the Timberwolves on Nov. 3 in Minnesota.
After sitting out a good chunk of yesterday’s first two-a-day sessions at the College of Charleston, including the evening scrimmage, the knee-rehabbing Houston drastically downplayed his chances of playing the eight-game preseason schedule games or the opener.
Houston has history and superstition on his side. He rushed back from microsurgery last summer, played the final two exhibition games and logged 49 minutes in the opener, an overtime loss to Orlando. He cites that game as a major setback.
“It’s not that important,” Houston said of making it back for the opener. “Would you rather me play opening night or in the NBA Finals and be healthy for the whole season? I’m looking at it that way. The reason I’m here is I treated [the opener] important last year because I wasn’t really smart.”
Houston’s caution will allow newcomer Jamal Crawford to steal his starting shooting guard by default, beginning with the Oct. 14 preseason opener vs. the Nets. And once Crawford’s got it, it’s unlikely the athletic former Bull is giving it back.
“I’m not even worried about it a bit,” Houston said of losing his starting job.
If Houston sits out until late November or early December, it would be eight months since he’d played a game. “My focus is on getting to the point where I can go all out, not look back, not have to hold back,” Houston said. “When that is, that’s what it’s going to be. I don’t have a crystal ball.
“This is about 115 games, not two games in the preseason. We’re trying to win in June and the next June and the next June.”
Houston is not even guessing when he might attempt to scrimmage. His lone basketball work is jump shots and free throws. “It’s so far from that, I’m not even looking at it,” Houston said.
Going 49 minutes in last season’s opener will always haunt Houston. “It definitely set me back,” he said. “I hadn’t built a foundation, a strength. I deceived myself. That’s why I sound cautious. I don’t want to think about tomorrow or Nov. 3. I know you want a yes or no, but I can’t give you that.”
Figure he sits out. Stephon Marbury is already waxing eloquent about playing alongside Crawford in the backcourt, saying, “We’re two guys right there with a lot of trickery to [our] games. That’s beautiful.” Marbury played only 20 games with Houston last season, so they haven’t developed a strong chemistry.