Dynamic Duo of Duhon and Lee Keeps on Rolling

David Lee and Chris Duhon look to keep on rolling this upcoming season . NBAE/Getty Images

Knicks floor general Chris Duhon is known for his patient offensive approach and unselfish play. He almost always finds the right player when the team goes to the pick-and-roll offense. And more often than not, that player is David Lee, who has shined alongside Duhon since the two joined forces last season.

“We do a lot of pick-and-rolls and he’s one of the main guys that’s always picking,” said Duhon, who averaged a career-high 7.2 assists in 2008-09. “He does a great job of getting in the right spot and making the pass easy for me. I’m pretty much just delivering it to him and he’s finishing.”

Duhon totaled 566 assists last season, which were the most by a Knick since Stephon Marbury dished out 668 in 2004-05. Of those 566 passes, 161 (28.4 percent) found their way into Lee’s hands for the easy bucket.

“Chris and I developed a relationship on that pick-and-roll,” Lee said. “He’s a very unselfish point guard and I think we both make each other better on the floor. It’s a great relationship.”

Lee, entering his sixth season with the Knicks, wasn’t much of an offensive threat before Duhon joined the team as a free agent over a year ago. He rarely had plays called for him and mainly got his buckets off offensive rebounds. But the 6-foot-9 center, who averaged 8.9 points through his first three seasons, put up a career-best 16.0 points per game in his first season playing with Duhon.

“That pick-and-roll is a big part of what we do,” Lee said. “And not only do we get opportunities to score off of it, but our shooters get the opportunity to get a lot of open shots.”

Those other scoring opportunities mostly went to Wilson Chandler, Al Harrington, and Nate Robinson in 2008-09. This year, Gallinari will likely be added to that list. The second-year sharpshooter, who only played 28 games last season due to a back injury, feels comfortable firing away from the corners, which is a perfect option when the entry pass is denied.

With reliable options on the wings to drain treys, look for the inside to open up even more for Duhon and Lee, and for the Knicks dynamic duo to continue to roll.