http://www.nypost.com/sports/knicks/32046.htm

HOUSTON READY TO PRACTICE

By MARC BERMAN

November 20, 2004 -- KNICK NOTES

DALLAS — With the Knicks ending a four-game road trip last night,
Allan Houston said he will begin practicing with the team next week, a major breakthrough in his comeback.

Houston could be as close as two weeks away from suiting up.

Houston has yet to practice with the club, working out on his own, and said he'll only have to participate in portions of practice.

"Hopefully next week my plan is to start easing into practice," Houston told The Post last night before the Knicks lost to the Mavericks. "I'll start off doing some non-contact stuff, ease into it and go from there."

The Knicks' next scheduled practice is Monday. After Houston feels comfortable in non-contact drills, and he can't pinpoint how many practices that will take, he will begin to scrimmage. When he begins scrimmaging, Houston, whose jump-shooting the Knicks miss, said he believes he'll be a week away from making his season debut.

"It's a big step for me," said Houston, who's been rehabbing his left side. "I'm excited."

*

Before last night's game, Lenny Wilkens said Tim Thomas, if he continues to struggle, will be pulled from the starting lineup.

"It could happen," Wilkens said.

Thomas was benched in both halves and played 13 minutes in Thursday's 93-92 win in Houston, shooting 1-of-5 for two points and two turnovers. It appears Wilkens will have a quick hook with Thomas from now on, but last night in the 103-101 loss to Dallas he got off to a nice start, finally sharing the ball, making a block on defense, doing the little things.

Last night was not the time to make a change because rookie Trevor Ariza is adjusting to playing on back-to-back nights.

"He was struggling a bit," Wilkens said, referring to the Houston contest. "I wanted to make a change so I can stay in the game. Any player who's not playing well has to be taken out."

Thomas did not object to the benching. "It's always tough when it's not going for you," he said.

GREAT news.

Hopefully he will come back soon, and his shooting will be so important for us! God bless him in this process so he can make it.

Posted by gunsnewing:

hopefully he takes TT's minutes away

He will. TT is about to become glued to the bench even before Houston returns.

he just need to try a little more in the defensive side of the game and try to collect as many rebounds as possible.

Maybe this funk could be a blessing in disguise. TT is realizing he isn't able to score right now. If he wants playing time, he's gonna have to play defense and grab rebounds. Maybe he becomes a more complete player, or to a more likely scenario, maybe he just wastes a month and a half of our season.

Posted by Ira:

Tim Thomas has been in the league since '97. If he was going to try to be a good defensive player, he probably would have done so a long time ago. He's a great athlete with good size - the kind of player who could be good defensively. What's lacking is intensity and desire.

Yeah, I want TT to play well as much as anyone wants him to, but to call this terrible slump a blessing in disguise is really desperate spin

I would love to somehow trade TT to Toronto for Carter and Rose