Posted by Kelly Dwyer

That didn't take long.

Really, you've got to admire the heck out of Allan Houston, and realize that this isn't your typical, "I'm a star who misses the pats on the back" story. Remember, two years ago at about this time, Houston was involved in a standoff with Knicks President Isiah Thomas concerning Houston's future with the Knicks, with most of the muskets having been fired through the media. Thomas wanted Houston to retire, knowing that Houston's fully insured contract would be off New York's bottom line about a month into the 2005-06 season -- a year after Houston's last game as a Knick, on December 10th, 2004.

Houston, even knowing that he is going to receive the remainder of his guaranteed contract whether he played or not, kept telling anyone who would listen that he wanted to come back to the Knicks. In the end, cooler heads prevailed - Houston decided not to compete for minutes and shots in a backcourt that included Stephon Marbury, Jamal Crawford, Nate Robinson, and (eventually) Steve Francis. Meanwhile, the Knicks didn't have the uneasy task of telling a then-34 year old semi-legend that he wasn't good enough to play for a team that would eventually finish the season with 23 wins.

So, we appreciate Houston's interests, and believe him when he says he's interested in taking on the sort of leadership role (not unlike the one Joe Dumars had as Houston's teammate in the early 1990s) that he never had a chance to sidle up to as a Knick. We never blamed Houston for failing to live up to the contract that Scott Layden signed him to in 2001; a 30-year old Houston, even playing at his absolute best (which he did in 2002-03, his career year), wasn't worth half of that money. And in light of that contract, and the eventual insurance payoff, you can't blame him for wanting to give back a little bit, and play a sport for a living at the same time.

But it's a cruel world, roster spots are taken, and as we pointed out in one of our last turns 'round these here parts, Houston was getting his jumpers blocked while having an impossible time just getting shots off. And that was nearly three years ago.

So, yes, his arthritic knee may have magically worked itself back into gear; but that's quite a stretch. It's been well documented that shooters never lose their touch, even in (relatively) advanced age; but that only means something if said shooters can get said shots off. Houston, three years ago, could not.

I'd love for the comeback to work, mainly because shooting is at such a premium in this sport and a team like the Cavaliers is in danger of wasting the most precious of commodities (LeBron James, I know you've heard of him) if they don't find some perimeter help to surround him with. And yet, I just can't see Houston - based on everything we witnessed years ago, and everything we know about NBA players getting on in age, making it work. Here's hoping I'm wrong.