Toney

Douglas

Jeremy Lin will play major minutes with the aging Mike Bibby expected to be his primary backup. There is a possibility that Toney Douglas finally gets into a game as well, but we’re not getting excited about it.

First the Knicks need to hang onto their one-game lead over the Bucks in the Eastern Conference playoff race, and even then there are no guarantees that Lin will be cleared to return early. For now, Baron Davis and Toney Douglas will continue to hold down the PG spot for New York.

Davis’ back injury has been a major issue for him all year long, and it’s likely to be a major factor for him for however long the Knicks are alive in the playoffs. Mike Bibby has come on to play the point, and it’s unclear if the Knicks will just go without a point for stretches. Toney Douglas is not trusted by Mike Woodson.

Davis is literally a sneeze away from being on the sidelines, and Mike Woodson is milking whatever he can get out of him. Mike Bibby played 21 minutes and the Heat didn’t even bother to expose him on defense, but if the series were to become competitive that would be the first, second, and third things we would do if we had our way. Toney Douglas is cemented to the bench.

Although it sounds like Baron will actually return this time, he’s not a tempting pickup with Jeremy Lin in command at PG and J.R. Smith entering the rotation. Also, the odds of his getting re-injured are really high.

Iman Shumpert isn’t a natural PG but he stands to gain the most from Lin’s unfortunate absence -- Baron Davis is limping around the court, and neither Mike Bibby nor Toney Douglas jumps out as a reliable option. Lin’s incredible regular season may have ended on a down note, but it will never be forgotten -- in 25 starts he averaged 18.2 points, 1.0 threes, 3.7 rebounds, 7.6 assists, 2.0 steals (and yes, 4.7 turnovers), while setting the world on fire for a few transcendent weeks. There’s a slim chance he could return if the Knicks make it to the second round of the playoffs.

Mike Bibby didn’t leave the bench (DNP-CD), and Douglas is worth watching in case Baron Davis (29 minutes) is forced to the sidelines by his hamstring, calf, ankle, knee...take your pick.

Davis left on a stretcher and replays of the injury are hard to watch -- it would be very surprising if he didn’t do major damage to the knee. For now, the team will rely on Mike Bibby and Toney Douglas, with Jeremy Lin potentially available if New York forces Game 5.

No surprise here. Douglas flopped badly in his chance as the starting point guard to start the season and is now behind Jeremy Lin, Baron Davis and Iman Shumpert on the depth chart. The Knicks are going to find a soft market.

It looks like the Knicks will turn to Iman Shumpert to play point guard in an emergency, as Bibby and Douglas are glued to the bench. That emergency could happen at any time, too.