"Mike D'Antoni's man crush on Chris Duhon is over.

In the summer of 2008, D'Antoni convinced Donnie Walsh that Duhon was the bridge to 2010 -- the point guard who would bring a winning attitude to a losing culture. Duhon possessed a high basketball IQ, leadership, defense and intangibles Stephon Marbury did not bring.

The two-year deal has turned into an Isiah Thomas-like blunder. The bridge has collapsed. Duhon, newly named captain, is going down with the Knicks' ship.

The Knicks are in chaos as they take their 1-6 record into tonight's game vs. the Jazz to begin a four-game homestand. Duhon's role as starting point guard is under intense scrutiny again.

With backup Nate Robinson still out with an ankle sprain, Duhon's starting job is safe until Robinson returns. D'Antoni yanked Duhon 2:32 into the third quarter Saturday for good. Duhon scored one point, committed three turnovers, and was 0 for 4 from the field. Duhon is shooting 25 percent, has played sloppy and looks like what everyone in the league figured he was in the summer of 2008 -- a good backup.

"I thought he [was] struggling and took him out," D'Antoni said. "He's not the only guy, but he's struggling right now. Hopefully, we can get him out of it."

D'Antoni said after the Bucks' blowout it's "soul-searching" time. The Knicks have fallen behind by 20-plus points in five of their six losses and the players are rattled, confused and sick of hearing about the summer's cap space. Who would've thought the Knicks would anxiously await center Eddy Curry's potential return to practice tomorrow?

The Knicks could equal the franchise's worst nine-game start (1-8) with two more losses. Compare that to last season's 6-3 start after which Walsh made his two cap-clearing trades and shot to death the next two seasons."