"Mike D'Antoni was calling the Knicks a championship contender before the club signed Baron Davis. And judging from Davis' past, the point guard has the ability to do one of two things: enhance the Knicks' prospects in the East or compromise the entire plan.

"I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get this team to win," Davis said on Monday after signing a one-year deal for the veterans' minimum. "It's a very unselfish system, so everyone's going to play well on the offensive end. I think I'll add a little of that as well as some defensive tenacity. You'll see a lot of emotion from me and a lot of hustle and hard work."

Davis' attitude appears good, which is crucial because when he's fully engaged, Davis is among the NBA's elite point guards. But when Davis is moonlighting as a movie producer and political activist, that's when his basketball suffers."