Two-time NBA champion Pau Gasol will not suit up against the Houston Rockets on Tuesday night due to tendinitis in both knees. Along with Gasol being replaced by Antawn Jamison in Houston, head coach Mike D’Antoni has decided to make a change at the point guard position by naming veteran Chris Duhon the starter via Mark Medina of the LA Daily News via Twitter:
Mike D’Antoni also strongly suggested he will start Chris Duhon over Darius Morris at point guard
— Mark Medina (@MedinaLakersNBA) December 4, 2012
This will be the first start for Duhon as a Laker in the regular season. Duhon has come off the bench in 13 of the 17 games played for the Lakers this season.
In the 13 games, Duhon is averaging 5.7 points, 5.2 assists and 2.6 rebounds per game while shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc. Decent numbers for a veteran averaging 19.0 minutes per game off the bench.
As for Morris, the second-year guard out of Michigan has started 10 out of 15 games he’s played in this season with slightly lower averages in different areas in comparison to Duhon. Morris is currently averaging 5.9 points, 2.5 assists and shooting 37.9 percent from distance.
Both players have had decent performances in place of the injured Steve Nash and Steve Blake, but it appears that Duhon might be the better option to start moving forward. It remains to be seen if this is the right move by D’Atoni as Duhon and Jamison will have to prove their worth as starters on Tuesday night in Houston.
